


Five Nights at Equestria Girls

by JazzNicoleProductions



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: Crossover, Crushes, Dark, F/F, Friendship, Gore, Horror, Profanity, RariJack, Romance, Sad, Sex, Sunlight, Violent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:01:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 95,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27467614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzNicoleProductions/pseuds/JazzNicoleProductions
Summary: This story is a sequel to Butterflies and SnakesFresh off their adventure at the Daring Do movie set and with a fame-obsessed Juniper Montage, the girls return to their school. Unfortunately, the peace won’t last long. Loose equestrian magic was about to cause more chaos. However, it won’t be in the form of power-crazed fiends, she-demons, or magical artifacts. This time, the magic will bring the iconic characters of the Five Nights at Freddy’s game to their world. And amid that chaos, Twilight Sparkle discovers that there’s something suspicious about Sunset Shimmer. And that causes Twilight to question her friendship with her.To make matters worse, Twilight’s feelings for the redhead started to become more prominent. With Twilight Sparkle struggled in a war of conflicted emotions, another battle was beginning. Will Sunset Shimmer’s knowledge about Five Nights at Freddy’s be enough to help them survive? Can Sunset’s friendship with Twilight endure the coming challenges? Or will Sunlight end before it even begins? Read to find out!
Relationships: Applejack/Rarity (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls), Sunset Shimmer & Crystal Prep Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. Night 1: Five Animatronics + Magic = Mystery

"Ahhhhh!!"

The sound of someone in distress broke through the once silent night. Twilight Sparkle turned her head to see that Sunset Shimmer was in the process of being dragged out of the gym by one of her legs. Still watching, she saw the redhead reaching for the bleacher seat only to have her body jerked back, keeping her fingers from being able to grip it. The robotic bear was dragging her friend out of the gym, heading towards the entrance on the other end.

"Sunset!" yelled Twilight Sparkle, feeling as though the air was being ripped out of her lungs at the horrifying scene of her best friend trying to hold onto something -anything- that would free her from the bear's grasp.

Looking around, Twilight desperately tried to find something to free Sunset from the bear. As she saw a cart of basketballs sitting near the closet, she got an idea. Using her powers, she levitated the cart and aimed it at the bear. Gathering all her strength, Twilight flung the cart as hard as she could. As the cart flew across the gym, the balls flew off it, hitting both Sunset and the bear.

In an attempt to protect itself, the robotic bear dropped Sunset Shimmer and held its hands above its head as a slew of basketballs hit it. A few seconds later, it lowered its arms only to see the cart heading straight for it. It started to back away, to avoid being hit by the cart. But it couldn't avoid it and got slammed into the floor as the cart hit it in the back of the head.

"Ohhh…" groaned the robotic bear as it blinked and tried to stand back up.

Now freed from the bear's grasp, Sunset got up. She turned around to see the bear getting up slowly, apparently still dazed from being hit. Seeing that, she sighed and slumped her shoulders forward.

"Oh, come on! Why don't you die already?!" shouted Sunset Shimmer as the bear turned to look at her with its red, glowing eyes.

"Get out of there, Sunset!" yelled Twilight Sparkle. "Don't ask it questions!"

Just as Sunset ran towards the other girls, she saw the creepy robot chicken reaching out towards Twilight. But before she could say anything, there was a rainbow-colored blur that flashed in front of Twilight, pulling her away from the chicken. Sighing with relief, Sunset saw that Rainbow Dash, having pulled Twilight away from the chicken, stopped by the benches on the other side of the gym.

"Th-thanks Rainbow," said Twilight, trying to catch her breath after the sudden burst of speed.

"Don't mention it. Never thought I would see the day KFC would strike back…"

"Ahh!" Both girls screamed in unison and jumped to opposite sides as a big purple rabbit was thrown in their direction, breaking the bench behind them into pieces.

Turning in the direction of where the rabbit came, they saw their friend, Applejack, scratching the back of her head with her one hand.

"Hehe, sorry 'bout that," Applejack said, looking down at the ground.

Just then, the rabbit got up, shaking off pieces of the broken bench. Its eyes glowed red, similar to the robotic bear's. As it stood to its full height, all three girls slowly began to back away.

"Crap…" hissed Rainbow Dash as the robotic rabbit stepped closer to them.

Meanwhile, in another part of the gym, Rarity was holding off a huge, red, robotic fox with her diamond shield. As the shield in front of her started to crack slightly, she stepped back. But in the process of doing that, she bumped into Fluttershy.

"Ahh!" screamed both girls as their backs touched.

"Fluttershy? Is that you?" asked Rarity, unable to look behind her as she was afraid that her shield would give way if she did.

"Yes!" squeaked Fluttershy as loud as she could.

In the animal lover's hands was a metal baseball bat that she had grabbed from the closet. She was swinging it at the bear's head. Unfortunately, the bear didn't seem to mind – or care for that matter – that the bat was hitting it. After a few hits, the bear grabbed the bat and bent in half, like the bat was wood instead of metal. Fluttershy gulped as the bear slammed the bat down.

"We could use some help over here!" shouted Rarity as her shield made a loud _crack_.

Sunset Shimmer, who was closest, picked up a basketball and threw it at the bear. It hit the bear on the back before bouncing back at her, making her duck and avoid being its next target.

"Hey, metal teddy bear! Come get me!" shouted Sunset.

That made the bear turn around; its red eyes were almost glaring at her. It let out a roar as it turned from Fluttershy to the redhead. It charged head on towards her, clearly angry.

"Guess you didn't like it when I called you a-woah!!" said Sunset Shimmer as she was thrown aside, her body slamming into the brick wall.

"Ow, that hurts…" mumbled Sunset, standing back up.

As she looked up, she saw a robotic fist heading straight towards her head. This time, she ducked, and the fist hit the wall where she had just been standing. When she saw that the bear's fist was stuck deep in the wall, she couldn't help snickering.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight all ran over to where their friends were. They had seen Sunset distract the bear, allowing them to handle the fox. Twilight, using her powers again, levitated the fox. Next, the cowgirl landed a hard blow to the hard plastic exterior, sending it flying as Twilight let go of the fox. They watched as the fox hit the wall behind it, knocking it out.

But before anyone could say anything, the bear pulled its fist free from the wall. Now, very angry, it charged at all the girls. As it ran towards them, it didn't see the few stray basketballs still rolling around from being tossed. As it's one foot stepped on one of the balls, it fell onto its back, cracking the wooden floor upon impact.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the bent bat and walked over to the bear. As she stood by its head, she smiled.

"No one messes with me or my friends, you gigantic metal freak!" screamed Sunset as she slammed the bat against its head, knocking it out.

Walking back towards her friends, she tossed the bat aside. She could see her friends' shocked expressions.

"What? No one messes with you girls and gets away with it," said Sunset, smiling proudly.

All the girls were breathing heavily; the long fight was finally taking its toll on their energy.

Looking at her friends, Sunset Shimmer noticed a lack of curly pink hair amongst the group. After a moment, she finally realized that Pinkie Pie was missing. "Wait! Where the hell is Pinkie Pie?!"

Panic was now plastered on the girls' faces as they realized that the animatronics could've taken Pinkie Pie.

"I'm right here!" chirped a very familiar voice.

They all turned to see their friend running through the main door, a big sack of sugar in her arms.

"What are you...where the hell _were_ you?!" asked Applejack. “And why in tarnation did you run off like that?”

"Because I need more ammunition, silly!" Pinkie Pie said very matter-of-factly.

"Why would you need more ammunition?" asked Twilight

"Because of that!" shouted Pinkie Pie, pointing to the KFC wannabe and the purple rabbit, both of which were now running at them.

All the girls scattered as the chicken and rabbit got closer. The only one who didn't move was Pinkie Pie. Instead, she shook the bag and then handed it to both of them.

"Mind holding that for me? Thanks," said Pinkie Pie walking back to her friends.

As she walked away, the two robots looked at the bag then at each other, confused. Unsure of what to do, they just stood there holding the glowing bag. Two seconds later, there was a massive explosion in their hands, which sent them flying into the wall and knocked them out. As the shreds of the sugar bag and remaining sugar fell, Pinkie Pie just smiled.

"Okay, Pinkie...that was...awesome!" said Rainbow Dash, high-fiving Pinkie Pie.

With her hands now on her waist, Pinkie Pie said, "Now what?"

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and put her hands on her knees, taking deep breaths.

"Are you okay, Twi?" asked Sunset with a hand on Twilight's shoulder, a worried tone in her voice.

"Yeah, just a little tired," Twilight Sparkle answered breathlessly, glancing at Sunset quickly. She didn't want her to see how drained she was.

"We should all get some rest," said Sunset Shimmer, loud enough for the rest of the girls to hear her. She kept her eyes on Twilight, pretty sure that she wasn't telling the truth.

"What about the psycho-bots? You know they'll get up again and soon…" said Rainbow Dash, eyeing the robotic bear.

Looking around at the gym, which now looked more like a war zone, Sunset Shimmer sighed and said, "We'll lock them inside. Barricade the doors the best we can. We have to keep them from hurting anyone for as long as possible."

Sunset turned around to face the girls. "We need to rest. We can figure out how to fix this in the morning. I'd doubt the school has chains here. But maybe the climbing ropes can substitute. That could help…"

“On it!" said Rarity, making her way to the equipment room with Applejack. Just as she grabbed the ropes, one of her nails became chipped. "Stupid ropes always ruining my nails."

"I don't mind the ropes," said Applejack. "I kinda like them."

"Oh, of course, you do!" replied Rarity without turning away.

The cowgirl gave Rarity a smirk before grabbing the ropes.

"With your strength, I bet you love them," Rarity said in an overly dramatic tone, her arms flailing in the air.

Smiling, Applejack shook her head and said, "I'm gonna find somethin' heavy to put behind these doors." Once she finished speaking, she went on her way, with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy joining her.

"What are we going to do, Sunset?" asked Twilight Sparkle standing upright, no longer gasping for air but still looking very tired.

"I...don't know," Sunset Shimmer replied, turning around and walking towards her friend. "How are you feeling?" she asked in a soft tone, stopping in front of Twilight, looking into her violet eyes.

"I'm fine, really," said Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow at her, crossing her arms, "Are you...really?"

Twilight Sparkle tried to give her the most innocent face she could muster at the moment.

"Come on, Twi! You don't have to hide from me."

Twilight Sparkle lowered her head.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her hand softly. "It's me. I know you hate showing your pain, but nobody thinks you're going to turn into Midnight Sparkle." Now grabbing both hands, she continued. "How you fought? The raw power you showed when you lifted that fox? Damn, remind me never to piss you off!"

That earned a chuckle from Twilight and a sideways look where Sunset Shimmer could see the sparkle was back in her friend's eyes.

"Thanks, Sunset." Twilight Sparkle wrapped her arms around Sunset's waist loosely, resting her chin on the redhead's shoulder. "I'm exhausted," she said, exhaling, her body almost going limp in Sunset's arms.

Sunset's shock only lasted a second, before she wrapped her arms around Twilight's back. "It's okay," she whispered in her ear. "We're going home now." she continued, now with one hand rubbing Twilight's back and the other caressing her hair.

*A Few Days Earlier*

Walking home that night, Sunset Shimmer was carrying a game that she had just bought. Not just any game, a game that she had been anticipating playing. It was a survival horror game called Five Nights at Freddy's. She had received the second and third games from her friends for her birthday last year. Being an avid video gamer, she was excited to get them. But she also held out on playing them until she could get a hold of the first game. Now that she had finally gotten it, she was ecstatic to play it.

Her apartment wasn't very far from the game store nearby. Maybe a half hour's walk if she was strolling. Turning down her street, she spotted her apartment just ahead. Approaching her front door, she fumbled for the keys in her jacket pocket. After a few seconds of digging around, she finally found them. With her hands shaking from her excitement, she unlocked her door and walked in. She was growing more excited to play her game as she closed the front door behind her. The familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo and laundry detergent hit her as she made her way further into her apartment. Above her desk was her makeshift bedroom, which had a set of stairs leading up to it. Conveniently, it sat near the front door. Setting her keys on her desk, she made her way to the living room. It consisted of a small-ish couch sitting on a rug, a large screen TV, a game console with a few games sitting on top, and two speakers on either side of her couch. Perfect for streaming her gameplays.

As she set the new game on the living room table, she heard her phone ring. Pulling it from her pocket, she turned it on. To her surprise, it was Twilight who was calling her at this hour. Without hesitating, she picked it up.

"Hey, Twi! What's up?" asked Sunset Shimmer, putting the phone against her ear.

A few seconds passed, and there was no answer on the other end.

"Twilight, is something wrong?" Sunset's worry showed in her voice as she spoke.

A quiet voice spoke. "It's nothing. I was hoping that maybe …we could …talk." Twilight Sparkle was hesitant to ask the question.

Sunset Shimmer could hear the all too familiar pain in Twilight's voice. She had come to know that pain over the last few months, almost a year now. She and Twilight had numerous talks about the events that transpired at the Friendship Games. She could see that with the emotional scars, her friend had also sustained some physical scarring as well. She had done what she could to comfort Twilight and help her cope with the pain.

"Sure, Twi. I can talk now. Do you want to come over?" offered Sunset, making her way to the kitchen as she spoke.

"Y-yes, I would," replied Twilight Sparkle, her voice shaking for a moment.

Sunset Shimmer smiled to herself. Being around Twilight always seemed to bring her joy. It was one of the many things she liked about her.

Though, whenever Twilight was feeling hurt or even depressed, she found it took some of that joy. It was hard to see her hurt, especially when she cared for her. But, that also made it very hard to keep her feelings in check whenever that was happening. All she wanted to do was hold her tight, letting her feel safe in her embrace. And not let go until her friend understood what a beautiful soul she was and that both she and the world were lucky to have her in it. Yet, she restrained herself, not wanting to overwhelm Twilight with her feelings, especially while her friend was still reeling from the after-effects of what happened with Midnight Sparkle. Plus, she didn't want to add more to her shoulders, not when she already had so much. Deep down, she also was scared to say anything in case Twilight rejected her feelings. That was not something she could face.

"Okay, see in you five?" asked Sunset Shimmer, pressing the phone against her shoulder as she shrugged off her leather jacket.

"Yeah, see you in five," said Twilight Sparkle before she clicked off the call.

When the call had ended, Sunset Shimmer placed her phone down on the kitchen counter, her eyes drifting to the game still sitting on her living room table. It was hard for her to push past the voice screaming at her to play the game. But she reminded herself that Twilight came first.

 _"Video games come second to friends, Sunset,"_ thought Sunset to herself as she looked away from the game.

Leaving the kitchen, she walked back into the living room. It wasn't much of a mess. Sunset did pride herself on keeping it tidy. But there were a few stray candy wrappers and plates from her last game stream. Grabbing those, she walked back into the kitchen. She tossed the candy wrappers into the trash can by the fridge. Just as she set the plates into the sink, she heard a series of knocks on her front door. She walked away from the kitchen sink, setting her jacket down on top of the couch on her way there. Opening the door, she saw Twilight standing on her doorstep.

Unable to help the smile that appeared, Sunset Shimmer said, "Come on in, Twilight." She gestured to her apartment as she stepped back.

Twilight Sparkle walked in as Sunset Shimmer closed the door behind her. Walking into the living room, she saw the Five Nights at Freddy's game sitting on the table. On the cover was a creepy robotic bear. It gave her goosebumps, prompting her to run her hands over her arms. Anything horror related freaked Twilight out. Most likely because of what occurred at the Friendship Games.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked past Twilight, sitting down on her couch.

Twilight Sparkle instinctively reached a hand up to her shoulder. Her fingertips grazed the top of her scars, the one caused by her transformation into Midnight Sparkle. The scars themselves were deep and thick enough that even through a thick shirt, one still felt them. The touch made her almost pull her hand away. Yet, she found herself unable to do that.

Sunset Shimmer saw where Twilight's hand was resting. She knew it was just above the scars caused by Midnight Sparkle. It had been a few months since she had found out that Twilight had them. It had been a shock to see how long they were, running the length of her shoulder blades. It was similar to her scars. Getting off her couch, she made her way to Twilight, resting a hand over hers.

"It's okay, Twilight. That won't happen again, I promise." Sunset pulled Twilight's hand off her shoulder, lifting her chin with her other hand, meeting her eyes. "I will make sure it won't happen again."

That made Twilight Sparkle smile, even though she didn't want to. That was one thing she admired about Sunset. Even on her worst day, the redhead had a way of cheering her up. It was almost like magic.

"Thanks…" said Twilight Sparkle as she adjusted her glasses, trying not to let her nervousness get to her.

Sunset Shimmer, sensing the growing tension, made her way to the kitchen. Grabbing two glasses, she filled them with water. She carried the two glasses back to the living room. When she sat down, she saw Twilight pick up the Five Nights at Freddy's game.

"I just bought that tonight." Sunset joined Twilight Sparkle on the couch as she set the glasses down on the table. "I was thinking about playing it when you called."

A pang of guilt washed over Twilight. When she called her friend, it hadn't occurred to her that she might've been busy. Over the last few months, Sunset Shimmer had always been there, day or night. She had become so used to that, that she sometimes forgot to ask if she had any other plans at the moment. Setting the game back down, she looked down at her hands.

The move didn't go unnoticed by Sunset Shimmer. She furrowed her brows as she looked at Twilight, worried. Had she said something wrong? Or was something else bothering her friend? Of that, she wasn't sure. But she was going to try and figure it out.

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry… I didn't even consider to think that you might've been busy."

Sunset got off the couch, kneeling in front of Twilight. She rested her hand lightly on Twilight's knee. "Twilight, look at me…"

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes reluctantly. As she opened them, she saw Sunset's beautiful cyan ones gazing back at her.

"You're more important to me than any game. And if you ever, and I mean _ever_ , need anything, please call me." Sunset moved closer to Twilight. "And the same goes for all the other girls as well."

Pushing past her guilt, Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. As Sunset returned to her spot on the couch, she grabbed the game. She flipped it over and read the back. As she read the back cover, it had surprised her to see the game had an interesting backstory to it.

Seeing that Twilight was eyeing the game, Sunset Shimmer asked, "Want to see me play it?"

A few moments passed before Twilight Sparkle finally spoke.

"Sure, but we keep the lights on, okay?" said Twilight Sparkle as she handed the game over to Sunset Shimmer.

"Okay, you've got a deal," said Sunset, giving Twilight Sparkle a comforting smile.

An hour had passed, and Sunset Shimmer was still playing Five Nights at Freddy's. She had managed to breeze through the first three nights with relative ease. But it was now on the fourth night, and she kept losing to Freddy Fazbear. Hard as she tried, she failed to keep an eye on him. Foxy was also becoming much more problematic, as well as Chica and Bonnie. Despite her efforts, she wasn't quite fast enough to keep both Foxy and Freddy from attacking her. Looking at the in-game clock, she saw that it was 5 am.

"Just one more hour, and you can finally beat this bitch of a level," whispered Sunset Shimmer to herself.

Twilight Sparkle had dozed off about a half-hour ago. She had watched Sunset declare another victory on night 3 of the game, but by that time, her eyelids had gotten very droopy. At some point, she just fell asleep, unbeknownst to the redhead sitting next to her. It wasn't all that uncommon for her to spend a night or two at Sunset's place. She would often come over, exhausted by her emotional turmoil. But after talking with the redhead for a bit, it was like a weight had disappeared from her chest. That often made it much easier for her to doze off.

Sunset Shimmer, who had been busy checking on Pirate's Cove, had forgotten to see where Freddy was. As she lowered the camera monitor, she saw him standing on the west side hallway as she turned on her light.

"Oh damn, I forgot about you...again!" shouted Sunset, her frustration at the repeated losses growing.

As Freddy's jingle began to play, Sunset Shimmer forcibly slammed her controller on the table. The loud bang had startled Twilight Sparkle out of her sleep. She lifted her head, looking at the redhead.

"Wha-Sunset? Is everything okay?" asked Twilight Sparkle, still groggy from being woken suddenly.

Sunset Shimmer glanced at Twilight Sparkle, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. She hadn't realized that her friend had fallen asleep next to her. Looking down, she tried to hide her shame. It was bad enough that she almost broke her controller, slamming it down the way she did. But to startle Twilight from her sleep was even worse. Nervously rubbing her neck, she spoke.

"Sorry, Twi. I didn't realize that you were sleeping." apologized Sunset, looking sheepishly at her friend.

Twilight Sparkle gave the redhead a small smile, sitting up. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed her phone. She turned it on, checking the time. The clock read 9:30 pm, an hour past what she thought it was. Sighing, she turned her phone back off and looked at Sunset Shimmer.

"Sunset, I have to go. It's already an hour past the time I said I would return home. My mom is going to freak out if I am any later." said Twilight, resting her arms against her knees.

Sunset's smile faded, her happiness dimmed by the news of Twilight's departure. She was enjoying having her friend's company. But she knew that her mother was strict about being on time. She had been on the wrong end of that one too many times. Sighing, she paused her game.

"Okay, want me to walk you home, Twi?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset, surprised by the sudden offer; this was the first time she had ever heard her offer to walk her home. It also seemed to catch the redhead by surprise as well. Seeing that they were both surprised by the question, she smiled.

"Sure, Sunset," replied Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to let on that she was happy Sunset had offered to walk her home.

Both Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle got off the couch. Sunset grabbed her jacket from the back of it. It was the same one she had worn at the Fall Formal. Though, she had another one, the one she had worn during the Friendship Games. But this one was valuable to her, despite the memories now associated with it. There was still evidence of what happened that night on it as well. A tear on the shoulder that she stitched up remained. The stitching wasn't excellent, but it was all she could manage to do at the time. She wasn't on Rarity's skill of sewing, though the stitching held nonetheless. Slipping her arms into the sleeves, she made her way to the front door, grabbing her keys in the process.

Turning back to Twilight Sparkle, she said, "You ready to leave?"

Making sure she had her phone, Twilight Sparkle patted her jeans. In the back pocket still was her phone. Sighing, she nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Together, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle walked out the front door. As Twilight made her way down the steps, Sunset made sure to lock her door, just as a precaution. While they walked up the street, heading towards Twilight's house, she walked close to her friend. Her hand was barely shaking as she reached out to grab her friend's. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. Gently, she grasped Twilight's hand, feeling her squeeze back in response. That surprised her, but she was happy about it. For the rest of the walk, they continued holding hands.

Meanwhile, back at Sunset's apartment, loose equestrian magic was making its way over there. Floating through her front door, it landed on the game console; the game unpaused as a result of that. That triggered the magic to travel through the game code, spreading to the sequels of Five Nights at Freddy's as well. Once it made it through each game, it found the main power line leading to Sunset's apartment. Still moving, it started to travel through the power line.

As it moved through the line, it took the main character of Five Nights at Freddy's, the Marionette from the second, and Springtrap from the third one. It continued to follow the line, flowing with the electricity. As it reached a broken section of the power line near the town square, it stopped. Hitting the exposed wires, it caused sparks to fly everywhere. As the hordes of sparks flew everywhere, hitting the ground, the characters of Five Nights at Freddy's began to materialize.

Appearing slowly at first, were the feet of Freddy, Foxy, Chica, Bonnie, and Golden Freddy as well. As their legs and joints appeared, they started to move. Freddy was the first to finish materializing entirely. As his circuits turned back on, he felt different, like it wasn't electricity that was powering him anymore. It felt like a much stronger force. Willing his foot to move, he felt the new power source flow through him. His foot moved, just as he wanted. The movement was more fluid as if the different power source was allowing his massive robotic body to move more naturally.

He looked behind him at his companions. He saw that both Chica and Bonnie had started to move. As Chica was still new to moving more fluidly, she bumped into Foxy, who had just finished appearing completely. The unstable fox fell, unable to keep his balance. A low growl escaped from him as his body slammed against the pavement with a loud _thud_.

"Sorry…" said Chica, now standing still.

Foxy groaned and tried to stand up again. He managed to get his one leg underneath him. Using his hook and his one hand, he attempted to push himself up. Unfortunately, his hook slipped on the asphalt, sliding out from underneath him, sending his crashing to the ground again. To his annoyance, Bonnie found his failure amusing.

"Will you shut up, you moronic bunny?" said Foxy, rolling his eyes as he tried to stand up again.

"Hey, you're the one who fell. I am just the one who happened to find it amusing." retorted Bonnie in between laughing.

Once Foxy was back on his feet, he walked over to Bonnie. "Why I oughta-"

"Will you two idiots stop that?! shouted Freddy, interrupting Foxy. "We have been placed somewhere, somewhere that isn’t the pizzeria. And I intend to figure out where we are."

Foxy and Bonnie glanced at Freddy, shocked by his sudden outburst of anger. Reluctantly, Foxy lowered his hook as Chica stood next to him. Bonnie, taking his chance, stepped back from the angry pirate fox. He sighed, genuinely worried for a moment that his friend would have hooked him. He returned his attention to Freddy as he joined the group.

As Freddy and his friends talked, the magic that had transported them there, moved further down the line. It had managed to get through the broken and exposed wires somehow. Further down the same line was another much larger patch of exposed wires. Again, as it hit that, sparks flew to the ground, landing in the forested area nearby. Just like Freddy appeared, so did Springtrap and the Marionette.

Once Springtrap had fully materialized, he looked around. The difference in scenery confused him. There weren't supposed to be trees, grass, dirt, or even annoying little birds that won't shut up. It was supposed to be a grimy, old, dilapidated, scorched building. Yet, this wasn't the burnt Fazbear's Pizzeria. This place was the outside world, and it was nighttime as well. He wasn't able to leave the building. Though, he made numerous attempts at the beginning. Walking around, he pushed aside a bush, revealing a brightly painted neon sign. The sign said 'Welcome to Canterlot City.'

"Canterlot...City?" The words sounded weird as he said them. "Where the fuck am I?"

Suddenly, the bushes next to him rustled. He looked at them, wondering what was causing them to move. Slowly, he crept up to the rustling bush, not wanting to startle whatever may be behind them. Pushing the bush brambles down, he saw an unfamiliar animatronic lying on the ground. Its body was black, with white stripes and both its arms and legs. Its face was white, looking somewhat like a mask, with two red circles on what would be considered its cheeks. It didn't have eyes, not like Freddy or Springtrap himself did. Below each of its eye sockets was a single streak of purple paint running down its face.

 _"What is this thing? A puppet? Why the hell is it here?"_ thought Springtrap. _"What the fuck I am doing here with it?"_

Looking at the animatronic, he debated on whether he should leave it or take it with him. Deciding it may be of some use later, he grabbed one of its legs, dragging it away from the bush. Still pulling the Marionette behind him, Springtrap ventured deeper into the wooded area surrounding him. After a few turns and circling back to his original spot, he eventually came upon an old abandoned building. It seemed to be one of the electrical buildings used to monitor the power supply to the city. Approaching the building, he dropped the Marionette's leg, leaving it on the ground. He saw the steel door blocking his one entrance into the building was barely hanging on by its hinges. Lifting his one foot, he gave the door a good kick. It fell to the ground with a loud clang, bending almost in half from the impact. A few local birds and squirrels scattered off, startled by the loud noise interrupting their slumber.

Twitching on the ground, the Marionette started to spark to life. Just as its circuits were firing up, it felt a robotic hand grasp one of its legs. Being dragged along, unable to fight back, it watched as the building came closer and closer. The next second it felt itself flying, having been thrown into the air before hitting the cement floor and sliding across it, slamming its body against the concrete walls. The impact against the wall caused a few small cracks to appear on its plastic body. Dazed, it watched Springtrap step onto the door, making it creak and bend underneath him.

Walking over to one of the broken windows, Springtrap stared out at the forest surrounding the building. The forest did well to hide the building from any roads or passers-by, assuming no one ventured into the woods.

"I will find those good for nothing kids. If they think transporting me will help them, they are sadly mistaken. It will only help me to find them…"


	2. Night 2: Puzzle Pieces and Feeliings

Freddy, having split from his friends looking for whatever could help him figure out where he was, now found himself in front of a shop. On the front entrance, above the doorway, was a sign. It read 'Sugarcube Corner.' He got closer, wanting to see inside. Crouching beneath a window, he leaned in for a closer look. Inside, a pink-haired girl was standing by the counter, her back to the window. In her arm was a mixing bowl full of some batter. Still mixing the dough, she turned around. Freddy, not wanting to be seen, darted away from the window. 

On a hunch, Pinkie Pie looked out the window. For a moment, she spotted a faint shadow that looked like a bear outside the shop. But just as she saw it, it was gone. Her Pinkie sense was tingling, so she knew that it  _ was _ something. Knowing that ignoring would most likely be a bad idea, she set the mixing down on the counter. She dusted the flour off her hands and walked out the front door. 

"Hello? Is anybody there?" asked Pinkie Pie in a sing-songy fashion. 

She looked around, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. But there was nothing. Not even an odd dog was walking out of the old building nearby. She was about to walk back inside when she turned to look at the alleyway near the shop. Looking down the alley, she saw what appeared to be eyes staring back at her. They were white, glowing in the darkness that surrounded them. She blinked, and the eyes disappeared as if they had never been there. Shaking her head, she continued walking back inside the store. 

"Hmm, must've been nothing," mumbled Pinkie Pie as she picked up the mixing bowl. 

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of town, Bonnie was making his way towards Carousel Boutique. As he turned the corner, he blinded himself, walking towards the fluorescent glow coming from the store. Holding his hand, Bonnie managed to regain some of his eyesight back. With his hand blocking some of the light, he walked closer to the building, staying in what little shadows remained. 

Rarity was busy working on her next outfit creation. She had been under increasing pressure from her boss, Ms. Hemline, to make a new outfit. A few years ago, she signed up for an apprenticeship under Ms. Hemline, thinking it would help her to better herself in the fashion industry. Yet, it had been much harder than she anticipated. Struggling to think of anything new, she set her pencil down and took a sip of her tea. Looking out the window, she decided to take a breather. She walked out the front door, sitting on the bench outside. 

Bonnie, meanwhile, hid behind the corner of a building as he watched a girl exit the shop. Her hair was a mix of dark purple and blue. Though, in the darkness, it was hard to tell. Wondering who she was, he decided to approach her. With his movements being more natural, he managed to be quiet with his steps. But he accidentally bumped into a nearby trash can. 

Rarity heard the sound of the trash can falling, prompting her to look up. Her eyes widened as she spotted a big bluish-purple rabbit in front of her. It was at least 7 feet tall and very clunky. She blinked a few times, unsure of whether or not she saw things. Sure enough, the rabbit was still there. This time, it seemed to have gotten closer to her. That was enough to frighten her, and she ran for the door. 

Bonnie stopped moving when he saw Rarity get up and move. Puzzled, he looked at her through the glass windows. His curiosity grew, making him step closer to the shop. This human girl didn't seem like the kids he was used to seeing running around the restaurant. He remained cautious as he decided to act upon his curiosity. He approached the big windows, leaning against the glass. 

Acting upon the feeling of someone watching her, Rarity turned around. To her shock, she saw that the animatronic rabbit was now staring at her through the windows of the shop. Her breathing quicken, becoming fast and heavy. She rested a hand over her racing heart, trying to calm herself down. She hoped that whatever that  _ thing _ was, it would disappear. And soon too, she did have a job to finish as it was. Having a creepy rabbit robot watching her was not on her to-do list. Yet, the thing remained, staring at her with unblinking eyes. His plastic eyes made him seem every creepier than usual. Her panic rose, causing her to hyperventilate. As her breathing quickened, she became dizzy, and black spots appeared in her vision. Gripping the table behind her, she struggled to keep her balance. A few seconds later, her hand fell from the table, her body collapsing to the ground. 

The next morning, Rarity woke up. She opened her eyes, only to find the bright morning sun shining at her. Blinking a few times, she looked over at the table, where her boss was standing. Though she was still groggy, she could make out the glare her boss was giving her. 

"Miss Rarity, I am shocked and disappointed to see that you are sleeping on the job." Her boss said as she crossed her arms. 

Rarity jumped up, dusting off her skirt, and cleared her throat. "I am so sorry, Ms. Hemline." 

Ms. Hemline walked over to the front door, glancing back at Rarity. "Well, apology aside, I still need that new outfit design by sunset today." 

Rarity gulped. The pressure to make the outfit now became doubled. All thanks to the stupid rabbit thing from last night. She heard the door close as her boss left the shop. Looking over her designs from the night before, she kept thinking about what happened the night before. Did she see a giant purple rabbit? Or was it a hallucination caused by too much herbal tea and sheer exhaustion? She wasn't sure, but the rabbit wasn't there anymore. 

_ "It must've disappeared during the night. But, that could be a hallucination. It had to be. I wouldn't be seeing giant purple rabbits anywhere. That would be ridiculous." _ thought Rarity, picking up one of her design plans.  _ "I mean, one of my best friends is a magical pony princess from another world. But seeing a purple rabbit? That is insane." _

Shaking the thought from her mind, she went back to focusing on her outfit design. She had to finish it before sunset, which wasn't going to be an easy task. 

*** *** *** ***

Across town, Fluttershy had just arrived at the animal shelter. It was getting close to the time to feed all the animals. Parking in her usual spot, she turned off her van. Getting out of her van, she saw broken glass on the ground. That made her look at the entrance, wanting to know where the source of the glass was. She was in shock as she saw the broken door and windows. 

"Oh, dear! Someone has broken into the shelter. I hope the animals are okay." said Fluttershy as she approached the shelter. 

Swinging the door open, she bolted to the back area where the animals' kennels were. To her relief, nothing was out of place, and a quick check of the animals showed that they were unharmed. Looking at the clock, she saw it was time to let the puppies out for their bathroom break. Opening the kennel doors, she led them into an area called the 'The Puppy Palace.' It had earned its name from the girls when they saw all the puppies playing in the playpen. The name stuck as it was popular amongst the visitors to the shelter. 

With the puppies safely in the playpen, she walked over to the storage room. Opening the door, she slipped the light switch on. A loud, glass breaking scream escaped from her when she came face to face with an 8 foot tall, yellow chicken that towered above her head. She noticed that it had its eyes closed as if it were sleeping or recharging. Swallowing hard, she backed away from it, unsure if it was going to attack. Behind her, she heard the front door open. Getting the food was going to have to wait. 

"What the hell? How did that get in here?" asked a voice coming from behind her.

The animal lover spun around to see a familiar face behind her. It was Sunset Shimmer, someone she had asked to help her with the shelter. And the one who agreed to help her. Nonetheless, she was happy to have the company with her. Being alone with the giant creepy chicken wasn't something she liked at all. 

"I-I don't know, Sunset. But maybe it was the thing that broke in," replied Fluttershy, pointing to the broken door and window. 

Sunset Shimmer knelt by the broken door, careful to avoid cutting herself on the broken glass surrounding it. Looking down, she knitted her eyebrows as her mind tried to figure out why this happened. It was odd that a robotic chicken would break into an animal shelter. That wasn't something anyone would typically see. What happened wasn't normal behavior for any animatronic, even one that bore a striking resemblance to a character from the game Five Nights at Freddy. Even those animatronics had a code to follow, despite the kids' souls being in them. So why did it select the shelter? And why wasn't it running now? She didn't know, but she was determined to find out. 

"Maybe. But I don't get why it would break in here. It's just a shelter for animals." said Sunset, walking back over to Fluttershy. 

"I wish I knew," replied Fluttershy. 

She grabbed a nearby broom and handed it to the redhead. "Mind cleaning up the broken glass? I don't want any of the poor sweethearts getting cut by it or eating it." 

Sunset Shimmer smiled. "Sure, Shy.”

Fluttershy gulped. She wasn't looking forward to having to go back into the storage room. Gathering what courage she could, she walked up to it and opened the door. She walked in, avoiding any contact with the animatronic chicken, not sure if it would attack her if she did touch it. Reaching around, she grabbed a bag of food and headed right back out of the room. 

After an hour had passed, Sunset's phone alarm went off. She set the broom against the wall, grabbing her phone from her jacket pocket. Turning off the alarm, she turned to Fluttershy. 

"Fluttershy, it's time to go to Sugarcube Corner. Remember that we had promised to help Pinkie Pie with the bake sale?" asked Sunset as she joined Fluttershy in the back area with the kennels. 

Fluttershy had just finished pouring the final cup of food for the last dog, a cute chihuahua named Nugget. He was a little light brown bundle of joy. A small yip of joy greeted Sunset as she knelt next to the kennel. 

"There you go, Nugget." Fluttershy was giving the little pup a scratch behind the ear. "Enjoy your food." 

"Nugget?" asked Sunset Shimmer, raising her eyebrows. 

"Look at his coloring and tiny size," said Fluttershy as she pointed to him. "He is just such an adorable bundle of happiness and love, who looks like a little nugget." 

The little dog looked up from his bowl, his wide eyes meeting their gaze. His body was shaking from his excitement to have all the attention on him. As they continued to pet the small chihuahua, they were unaware of what was happening in the storage room. The chicken's eyes blinked open, eyes glowing red. Its circuits roared to life, making the magic flow inside of it. It could hear their voices just outside the door as they passed by. Fluttershy had carried the food bag to the doorway, setting just outside it. She wasn't going to step foot in the storeroom until the giant chicken was gone. Seeing it once and up close was more than enough. Grabbing her jacket, she double-checked the Puppy Palace to make sure the door and gate were secure. Seeing that it was, she joined Sunset in walking outside to her van. 

Sunset Shimmer hopped onto her motorcycle, putting her helmet on. She revved her engine as she waited for Fluttershy to get into her van. Knowing Fluttershy had her safe driving ritual, she drove off first. Just as she got down the street, she saw Fluttershy's vehicle appearing in her side-view mirror. Smiling, she continued driving to Sugarcube Corner. 

*** *** *** ***

At Rainbow Dash's house, the athlete was waking up. The sun was already shining into her room, lighting it up. Turning her head, she sat up and looked at her alarm clock. The time on it was 10:37 am. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she flopped back onto her pillows. Right now, she didn't want to get up to do anything. 

"Good thing today is Sunday. It's a lazy day for me," mumbled Rainbow Dash as she rested her hands on the back of her head. 

Just as she got comfortable, she heard her phone vibrate on her dresser. Grabbing it, she saw that it was a text from Sunset. 

**SunShim: Hey, Lazy! Get your ass over here! We'll need help delivering some of Pinkie's baked goods.**

**Dash: Okay, okay! I will go there now.**

**SunShim: Good!**

After reading the text, she got out of her bed. Putting her geode on, she raced around her room, using her speed to get dressed much quicker than usual. She stopped in front of her mirror, making sure all her clothes were on right before she made her way downstairs. As she entered the kitchen, she ran past the toaster just as a piece of toast popped up. Grabbing it, she ran out the front door, deciding to run the block to Sugarcube Corner. 

Running out the door, she spotted a metal object glinting in the morning sun. Making her way to the bushes, she kicked it. Seconds later, a red fox head popped up from the bushes. As the rainbow-haired girl met the fox's gaze, she saw an annoyed look in its yellow eyes. Watching the fox rise to its full height, she gasped. He was about twice her height, and his hook was sharp, too sharp for her taste. Today was a bad day for deciding to kick some random shiny object in the bushes — a horrible idea. 

"Hehe, sorry?" said Rainbow Dash, shrugging her shoulders nervously. 

Turning around slowly, she sped off, away from Foxy. Behind her, she could his metal feet hitting the asphalt. She made a quick turn down a corner, narrowingly missing his hook going into her arm. That near-miss made her pick up the pace even more. She continued to run, not wanting to stop until she reached Sugarcube Corner and was safe. 

Foxy tried to chase after the rainbow-haired menace that had kicked his hook. He chased her up the street, not noticing the incline of the hill. He ran as fast as he could manage. He was the fastest of all his friends, including Chica, when she saw a pizza. Yet, the girl was much quicker than him, managing to keep a reasonable distance between them. There was one chance for him to get her when she had slowed to round a corner carefully. But in his attempt to hook her, his one foot slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. His defeat worsened when his body started to tumble back down the hill. 

Amazingly, Rainbow Dash arrived at the Sugarcube Corner shop in one piece. She had become so caught in keeping herself from Foxy; she failed to notice that his footsteps had disappeared long ago. Looking behind her, she saw that he was gone. That was a relief. She didn't feel like explaining why there was a red animatronic fox following her. Approaching the front door, she walked in and immediately saw all the girls glaring at her. 

"Dash, where exactly were you?" asked Applejack, her hands on her waist. 

Rainbow Dash looked away, hiding her flushed cheeks and growing embarrassment. She knew that she had messed up big time. Her friends had counted on her to be there, and she ended up late. Though, it had to count for something that she showed up, right?

"I'm sorry. I overslept, and my alarm didn't go off as planned," explained Rainbow Dash as she sat in one of the booths. 

The cowgirl rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, sure it didn't," mumbled Applejack under her breath. 

Sunset Shimmer, who was washing the various baking pans that they had used, looked over at Rarity. Her friend had been dozing off every so often as she sat in one of the booths. When she was awake, the redhead could see that she had bloodshot eyes and dark circles underneath them as well. It appeared that she hadn't slept well or at all for that matter. A look of concern crossed her face. 

"You okay, Rare? You seem like you didn't sleep at all last night," asked Sunset Shimmer as she finished up with the last baking pan. 

Hearing Sunset calling her name, Rarity jolted awake. She hadn't realized that she had dozed off...again. Blinking, she turned her gaze to the redhead. The semi-bright lights that lit up the room stung at her weary eyes. It was almost like she was staring at the sun. 

"I-I didn't, darling. I think I saw a giant purple rabbit robot...thing," replied Rarity as her eyelids slowly drooped. 

Hearing that, the redhead looked at Fluttershy. She could see they were both thinking the same thing. Two animatronics, in one day? That can't be a coincidence. The description Rarity gave them made Sunset's thoughts shift to Bonnie, from the game. With a very accurate Chica look alike running around as well, it made her wonder what was going on. 

Rainbow Dash, hearing what Rarity said, rushed over to her. 

"Wait, you saw a purple rabbit robot thing?" asked Rainbow Dash, realizing that maybe the fox that was chasing was a part of this robot apocalypse or whatever it was. 

Rarity tried to shake off her sleepiness as she looked at her friend. "Yes, Dash, I did." 

"Why do you ask, Dash?" Sunset joined her friends in the booth they were sitting in once she dried off her hands. "Did you see something as well?" 

"Yeah. On my way here, a fox-like robot chased me. The thing was fast as hell. Nearly matched me in speed with my geode." replied Rainbow Dash, turning to Sunset Shimmer. 

Hearing what Rainbow Dash said, something clicked in Sunset's mind. There had already been three different animatronic appearances. All of which happened within hours of each other. Something strange  _ had _ happened last night. But what? She was going to need to know more if this was going to be solved. Turning to Pinkie Pie, she found her frosting a few cupcakes. 

"Hey Pinkie, did you see anything strange last?" asked Sunset as she walked over to her. 

"Yep. My Pinkie sense was tingling, so I followed it. When I walked outside, I saw two glowing eyes staring at me from the alley." replied Pinkie Pie, acting if that was a regular everyday occurrence. "I wonder who that was." 

Just then, the bell above the door rang. All the girls turned to see Twilight Sparkle walking in. She chuckled nervously, not expecting to have all eyes on her. She made her way over to where Sunset was, sitting down on one of the stools by the counter. 

"Di-did I miss something?" asked Twilight Sparkle, glancing over at Rainbow Dash. 

Applejack set down her apple pies and walked over to Twilight. She swung her arm around her shoulders, giving her friend a warm smile. "You didn't, sugarcube. We were discussin' the strange events that have been happenin' recently." 

"You mean like that?" asked Twilight Sparkle, pointing out the window just as a golden version of Freddy ran past. 

Sunset Shimmer walked out the front door, watching the animatronic run past, disappearing behind a corner. She recognized the animatronic as Golden Freddy, from the first of the Five Nights at Freddy's games. "Okay, something is going on here." 

Walking back into the shop, she was met with her friends, all looking at her. "What?" asked Sunset, not sure of what was going on. 

"Um, did you just try to chase after that thing?" asked Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow. 

"No, I just wanted to get a better look at it," replied Sunset Shimmer. 

Walking towards the chairs by the counter, she grabbed her jacket. With it in hand, she walked back to the door. "Girls, I am going to head home and figure out what the hell is going on," Sunset said, turning to her friends before walking out of the shop. 

The girls all exchanged worried and confused glances. To see four animatronic animals running around town was weird. Though, they had seen stranger, like having two she-demon friends, battling sirens, a magically crazed camp director, and one very enraged teenager with a magic mirror. Yet, robots running around the city was a new one. They all hoped that Sunset could find some answers for what was happening. 

Climbing onto her bike, the redhead sped back to her apartment. 

_ "First a Chica look-alike, a Golden Freddy one, and if Pinkie Pie and Rarity's accounts are correct, there are two others, one being most likely Bonnie or something like him." _ thought Sunset as she turned onto her street, careful not to hit the curb.  _ "This cannot be what I think it is." _

Arriving at her apartment, she ran in, almost yanking her door open. Carelessly crossing her keys on her desk, she ran into the living room. What she saw in front of her confirmed her worst fears. 

"It is. Great," muttered Sunset Shimmer as she walked up to her game console. 

Her console had sustained severe burns on the outside of it. The game inside it presumably became destroyed as well. Turning it over, she saw that the bottom too was also cracked, exposing the inside. Looking, she could tell that there had been a small fire, which damaged all of the wires and electrical parts of it. That told her there was no way she would be able to repair it. She would have to buy a brand new one.

_ "Great. More money I have to spend on getting a new one because of rouge equestrian magic. Sweet Celestia, I fucking hate magic." _ thought Sunset as she set the destroyed console down on the table. 

"How the hell didn't I notice this last night?" muttered Sunset, looking at what little remained of her game console. 

"Because you spent almost all night at Twilight's house last night. That's why lover girl." her inner voice answered the question. 

Looking around, she noticed there were some scorch marks on her floor. They were barely visible. One could easily overlook them if they weren't paying attention. The scorch marks lead in the direction of the power cable, reaching the wall where the plug was. After that, the streaks became even fainter, following the main powerline in her building. She followed the scorch marks until she saw them heading towards the main power meter near the side of her apartment. As she looked out the kitchen window, she could see the cord leading from her house to the meter was burnt to a crisp, same as her console. Still following the scorch marks, she saw that they traveled up the meter, going onto the main power lines that passed by her apartment. 

"What the?" whispered Sunset as she saw the burnt wire now stretching across the power line. 

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her keys again and rushed down the stairs, running faster than she had ever. Hopping back onto her bike, she followed the path of the burnt wire. Once, she had to swerve to avoid hitting a road worker that had just started crossing in front of her. Several times she narrowly missed being hit by cars because she paid more attention to the wires than the road. She wasn't drunk, but the drivers might have thought that when she drove right past them, not even paying any attention. Sunset finally arrived at the part where the marks stopped near a transformer that was next to a wooded area. Getting off her bike, she saw that the transformer's door was gone, exposing the charred wires that sent small sparks falling to the ground. 

"Woah, that is damaged," said Sunset Shimmer as she examined the broken transformer. 

Walking behind it, she saw that the marks stopped. There were no more except for what was on the transformer itself. That only frustrated her more. What caused this to happen? How did the animatronic animals get loose in Canterlot City? Why wasn't the trail of burnt wires giving her more clues like she had hoped? She didn't know, but there was no reason to stick around if the trail ended here. Turning to go back to her bike, she saw something on the ground further into the wooded area. 

"Is that a…" Sunset approached the strange indent in the ground. Sure enough, it was a footprint just as she suspected. "But what is this footprint doing here?" 

Pulling out her phone, she snapped a few pictures of the footprint. One of which was with her foot next to the giant one. It was bigger than any human or animal could make. And judging by the shape, it most likely belonged to one of the five animatronics running around town. Once Sunset had finished taking photos, she put her phone away. Looking around the area, she noticed that there were numerous footprints scattered all around. Upon closer inspection, she realized that there were six different types of prints on the ground. 

"Wait, there's six animatronics running around?!" shouted Sunset, backing away from the footprints. "What the fuck?" 

With her worry building, Sunset Shimmer ran back to her bike. Six very dangerous animatronics running around town. That didn't make her feel good. Despite her instincts saying that the animatronics were loose because of her, she knew that it wasn't the truth. Equestrian magic was known to be haywire in this world. After all, it did cause a mirror to grant the wishes of the beholder. Sitting on her bike, she decided to warn her friends about the sixth one. 

Just as she was about to start her engine, she glanced down. Her shirt was covered in a layer of flour from the baking frenzy with her friends. It made her look like she had just lost a fight with a snowman. There was also some dried icing from the mini-battle between her and Pinkie Pie seeing who pour icing on a cupcake faster. That ended up being a who could decorate who quicker battle. But first, a change of clothes. She didn't want to get flour everywhere, after all. 

*** *** *** ***

Racing up her apartment steps for the second time that day, she made her way into the apartment. Without wasting a second, she bolted up the stairs leading to her room. Well, it was more of a loft than an actual bedroom. There were no walls, but there was a big window at the foot of her bed. At least she always got a good view of the sunrise every morning. Pulling off her jacket, she tossed it on her bed. She quickly pulled off her flour-covered shirt and set it in her hamper. As she walked past a full body mirror that was sitting next to her dresser, her eyes caught the sight of her scars. A barely audible gasp slipped from her lips. They were similar in placement to where Twilight Sparkle's were, but that was where they ended. They were longer in length and width as well a bit deeper as the transformation had been unsuspected. 

Gingerly, she reached back, running her hand over one of the scars. She flinched as she felt her hand brush against the edge of it. Staring at them, she knew that Twilight didn't know. That had been her personal choice. If she told her about them, it would lead to questions about how she got them. And that would inevitably lead to her explaining the Fall Formal, which she wasn't ready to do yet. She even went as far as not to have the girls bring up to the event. They protested against it but reluctantly agreed. Whenever anyone mentioned in a conversation, she would immediately change it to something else to avoid Twilight asking anything. After a few seconds, she lowered her hand slowly, looking down. 

Memories of the Fall Formal, the transformation, and what she did, played over in her mind again. Her body shook as she struggled to keep herself from giving in to the fears that wanted to be free. She fell to her knees, letting her tears go as she did. Slow cries turned into sobs as each painful memory replayed itself in her head. It had taken months of talking to the girls, writing to the princess, and just trying to make amends to get past the pain and guilt. Yet, as much progress as she made, some days like today, made it all come back. And when it came back, it stung like a thousand hot needles being shoved into her back all at once. 

_ "No...that's not me. Not anymore. I have changed." _ thought Sunset Shimmer as she tried to slow her sobs.  _ "I am not a monster…" _

Lifting her head, she glanced back at her reflection. She could see the scars from where her wings and tail had sprouted from. Even now, she could still feel the leathery wings on her back, their flapping causing her to use her new muscles that had formed back then. Yet the feeling of her tail twitching behind her happened every so often. That was the most annoying thing, especially when she was so scared that she was going to transform back into that monstrous form. Shaking her head, she glanced at a picture of her and Twilight Sparkle that sat on her dresser. 

"Should I tell Twilight? What if she hates me for what I did? I can't-I don't want to lose her friendship." Sunset muttered to herself. 

"You have to tell her, and you know that. She is your friend, she'll understand. But you  _ have _ to be honest." said Sunset's inner voice, offering some support. 

Not sure if she believed her conscience's words, she got up from the floor. Deciding to see if she could manage to touch her scars, she reached back again. As she felt her fingers graze the edge, she realized that she didn't flinch in response. Smiling, she walked over to the closet, pulling out a new shirt. Slipping it over her head, she grabbed her jacket and headed back downstairs. She had wasted enough time already, and she needed to head back over to Sugarcube Corner. 

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle had just left Sugarcube Corner and was heading home. She had helped Pinkie Pie and the girls finish the rest of the baking while Rarity took a well-deserved nap. The conversation had been about the robots each of them had seen. It was disturbing to think that creepy animatronic robots were wandering around the city for no apparent reason. Thankfully, it seemed that they weren't going to endanger anyone, well except the fox one that was. Her thoughts turned against her as her mind wandered to Sunset and the realization that she could be attacked by one of them and be severely injured. Maybe even die from the attack. Thinking about that made her stomach grow queasy. She had said she wanted to go home and rest for a bit because it was getting harder to fight the urge to throw up. 

Making a quick excuse that she needed to rest for a bit, she had managed to get away from the girls. She had promised to be back later to help out once she felt better. As she turned the corner, her mind thought about Sunset. For the last few months, she had been feeling something different about her friend. It was more than friendship; it was something else. Something that every time Sunset came around became much stronger and more constant. Around the redhead, she felt a sense of safety. There was always a feeling of warmth and comfort. Her heart raced with every embrace she had with Sunset Shimmer. It was like an adrenaline rush every time their hands brushed up against each other whenever they sat next to each other. 

"Yet, despite the obvious, you can't seem to admit it," said Twilight's conscience, making a point. 

_ "It's not easy for me. This is the first time I have ever felt this way for anyone." _ thought Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to discuss that with herself. Not right now. 

For a while, she struggled with her new feelings. Sunset Shimmer was the first person that made her heart race with even the slightest touch of a hand. She also struggled with keeping her yearning to be in the redhead's embrace in control. It was hard when her friend was also so close to her, close enough to kiss…

_ "Woah, slow down, Twilight. Don't get ahead of yourself." _ thought Twilight, trying to keep her thoughts from wandering. 

Deep down, she knew what those feelings meant. Yet, she kept herself from really giving into them until she knew for sure that Sunset felt the same way about her. That was a hard task to do with the redhead being around her so much. If anything, she wanted to stop holding back entirely and scream, "I love you, Sunset Shimmer!" at the top of her lungs. But there was also always one thing that stopped her, fear of rejection. If she dared to give into something like this and it cost her, it would hurt in ways that not even her traumatic experience with equestrian magic could ever do. And that was a cost she couldn't afford. She couldn't risk the close bond she had with the redhead over a gamble of feelings. 

Twilight Sparkle wasn't sure of what she should do. Should she decide to tell Sunset? Or wait until Sunset made the first move? It was so confusing and frustrating. Why the matters of the heart had to be so hard, she didn't know. But she wished that there was a clear path for her to choose. 

_ "What if she says no?" _ thought Twilight Sparkle as she knitted her eyebrows together.  _ "But what if she says yes? I don't think my heart would handle hearing that…" _

"If she says yes, isn't that a good thing?" asked her inner voice. 

_ "Well, yes. But I can't tell if Sunset feels the same way. I mean, she has always been there. As have the other girls,"  _ replied Twilight Sparkle, not realizing that she had stopped walking and was now standing in front of her house. 

"Well, none of the other girls look at you the way she does. Bor does their touch make you act like a lovesick puppy," added her inner voice. 

_ "I am not a-" _

"Honey, what are you doing?" asked Mrs. Velvet as she opened the front door. 

Blinking, Twilight finally realized that she was standing at her front door for the whole time. That was embarrassing, especially since her mom had seen her doing that. Chuckling nervously, she walked into her house and was greeted by Spike jumping into her arms. 

"Hi, mom," said Twilight Sparkle as she gave Spike a scratch behind the ear. 

"What are you doing home so soon, sweetie? I thought you had to help your friend," asked Mrs. Velvet as she joined her daughter by the stairwell. 

"Yeah, I just came from there. I just needed to rest for a bit," replied Twilight Sparkle, hoping her mom wouldn't ask any more questions. 

"Okay, I hope you are okay." Mrs. Velvet walked into the kitchen. "Let me know if you need anything. I will be in the kitchen." 

Setting Spike down, Twilight said, "Okay, mom. I am going to my room now." 

Okay, sweetie!" Twilight Sparkle heard her mom shout as she ran up the stairs. 

She made her way to her room, located opposite of her brother's, Shining Armor, room. Opening her door, she walked over to her bed. After her long walk from Sugarcube Corner, her feet were sore, incredibly sore. She sat down, her feet enjoying the relief of her no longer being on them. Just as she swung her legs onto her bed, she saw Spike run in. 

"Is everything okay, Twi?" asked Spike as he joined her on the bed. "It's unusual to leave the girls, especially when you have plans." 

Twilight Sparkle sighed. "No, not really. Five animatronic robots are running amok in Canterlot City. I am worried that Sunset is possibly going to get hurt, and yet all I want to do is tell her to kiss me." 

"Um, Twilight?" Spike licked Twilight's cheek. "You're rambling." 

"Sorry, Spike." Twilight sat against her pillows, allowing Spike to rest on her lap. "It's just my mind has been a mess of thoughts. Mostly revolving around Sunset." 

"I didn't notice," replied Spike, a sarcastic tone in his voice. "You still wondering if you should admit your feelings to her?"

"Yeah…" Twilight Sparkle was glad Spike understood her frustration and concern in admitting her feelings to the redhead. It made it easier to calm down when she had him to vent to. 

Spike shifted in Twilight's lap. "Do you remember when she found out about your scars a few months ago?" 

Twilight did. It was still like it happened yesterday in her mind, partly because of Sunset's reaction. It hadn't been what she expected. At all. Looking at one of the many pictures she had of the redhead, the memory replayed in her mind. 

*Flashback* 

Twilight Sparkle was sitting behind the bleachers in the gym, her lunch bag in hand. Today, she didn't feel like sitting with her friends. Not when the day before Sunset Shimmer had almost discovered the scars she had on her back. It was bad enough that she was still struggling to keep herself from becoming a she-demon again. She didn't need her friends to know that there were physical reminders etched into her skin. Pushing the thoughts aside, she opened her lunch back and grabbed her sandwich from it. Just as she was about to take a bite, she heard a  _ very _ familiar voice as someone walked into the gym. 

"Do you think she came here, Shy?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she looked around the empty gym. 

"I know I would if I wanted to be alone," replied Fluttershy, her voice barely echoing off the walls of the gym. 

"Well, where would she hide?" Sunset walked over to the bleachers where Twilight Sparkle was hiding beneath. "Cause there aren't many hiding spots here." 

Twilight Sparkle moved back, trying to keep herself hidden from view. Unfortunately for her, everything beneath the bleachers in a thick layer of dust. Her moving around had stirred some of it, causing it to swirl around her. She breathed in, inhaling some of the dust particles. Seconds later, she sneezed. 

"Did you hear that?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked even closer to the bleacher that Twilight was hiding behind. "Someone just sneezed." 

Sunset Shimmer peered behind the bleachers wondering who was back there. When she looked back, she immediately saw Twilight Sparkle standing there. Her jacket had become coated in some of the dust that she had just disturbed, as well as her sandwich. It seemed she had only interrupted her lunch. But why was she having lunch here and not with her friends? Furrowing her brows, she walked toward her friend. 

"Twilight, are you okay?" asked Sunset Shimmer. 

"Yeah…" replied Twilight Sparkle as she looked at her dust-covered sandwich. "Just eating lunch." 

Sunset Shimmer wasn't sure she believed her friend. Before she could say anything, she heard Fluttershy walk towards them. Turning to face the animal lover, she said, "Shy, can we have some space? Twi and I need to talk for a moment." 

Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah. I will tell the others she is okay." 

"Thanks, Shy," said Sunset, smiling at her friend before she returned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. "Twi, why didn't you join us for lunch today? You have been acting strange since yesterday since we hung out at the library. Did I do something?" 

"No, you didn't Sunset," said Twilight as she put her sandwich back into her lunch bag. "It's just...something personal." 

"Something personal? Like what?" asked Sunset Shimmer, leaning against the underside of the bleachers. 

"I don't want to talk about it, Sunset." Twilight Sparkle grabbed her backpack and started to walk out from under the bleachers. 

Just as she was about to turn the corner, she felt Sunset's hand on her arm, stopping her. Again, just as usual, her heart started to race. The thundering in her ears made it impossible to hear her thoughts. Turning around, she saw that her friend's eyes had darkened over with worry. Seeing that, she sighed and pulled her arm free from her friend's grasp. 

"Please, Twilight. I want to help you." Sunset Shimmer's voice became strained as if she struggled to speak without sounding like she was angered. It was hard when she was frustrated at herself for not being able to help her friend. "Please." 

Twilight Sparkle, not saying a word, walked past Sunset Shimmer, heading into the girls' locker room. She didn't want to do this, not here. Yet, she could see that she didn't have much choice. Lying to her friend was out of the question. Gathering what strength she could manage, she forced herself to continue through with it. She heard Sunset run after her, following her into the bathrooms. She set her backpack down, pulling her jacket off. As the redhead entered the room, she gripped the bottom edge of her shirt. Keeping her back to her, she spoke. 

"Want to see what is so personal?" asked Twilight, readying herself to reveal the scars to her friend. 

Sunset Shimmer, not sure of what she should say, stood there with her body pressed against the doorway and nodded. This was a weird position for her to be in. One she had never been in, not since the aftermath of the Fall Formal. She sat on one of the chairs located in the bathroom. Watching Twilight Sparkle lift her shirt, she had to keep herself from giving in to the part of her that wanted to caress Twilight's stunning form. It was like a statue with perfect edges; only it was warm and alive. Pushing her thoughts aside, she saw something dark on her friend's shoulder blade. More was revealed the further up the shirt went. Sunset Shimmer knew just what she was seeing as Twilight had fully lifted her shirt. 

"Are those… scars?" asked Sunset Shimmer, pushing herself off the doorway and walking over to Twilight Sparkle. 

"Yes." Twilight let her shirt fall back down as she let go of it, hiding the scars once again. "That is why I was acting so strange yesterday." 

The scars looked very similar to her own. It was almost shocking to see that. Though there were some differences, especially in length and depth, it seemed that she had gotten the worst scars of the two. Sunset looked down, stepping back from Twilight. Seeing her friend's injuries made her more aware of the ones she had. A painful, pinching sensation made her move her shoulder, trying to stop it. But it didn't do anything to alleviate the pain. Deciding not to focus on it, she grabbed Twilight's hand from behind. 

"I almost touched them yesterday, didn't I?" Sunset's tone was calm and soothing as her hand gently squeezed Twilight's. 

Twilight Sparkle nodded. 

"I am sorry. If I had known, I would've been more careful, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer walked in front of her, their eyes meeting. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

"I-I," Twilight Sparkle struggled to get the words out, "was ashamed that I had any reminders of what happened at the Friendship Games." 

Sunset Shimmer froze as she heard what Twilight Sparkle said. It was why none of the girls, Twilight included, knew about her scars. It was like a shameful reminder that she had become a monster, a monster that tried to destroy them and the entire school. All because she wanted to prove to her ex-mentor that she  _ did _ deserve something that she, in actuality, didn't. To hear that Twilight felt the same way made her guilt at keeping her past a secret worsen. Now it was becoming apparent that it was the wrong choice. But what could she do? It's not like she could go back. Swallowing hard, she made herself push her problems aside, knowing Twilight needed her now. 

"Twilight, the girls, and I don't mind that you have scars. We care about you." Sunset Shimmer stepped closer to Twilight, her hand letting go of her friend's and wrapping around her waist. " _ I _ don't mind them at all." 

"R-really?" asked Twilight Sparkle, becoming flustered as Sunset got closer to her. 

Sunset Shimmer moved her other hand to Twilight's shoulder, deliberately resting it over the scars. She felt her friend flinch and try to get away, but she kept her grip around her waist. "Yes, Twilight. I mean it." 

Sunset leaned even closer to her friend, their lips just inches apart from each other. Keeping her grip on Twilight Sparkle, she slowly moved closer, giving in to her desire to kiss her. As she leaned in, she felt her friend do the same, making the distance between them shrink faster. Removing her hand from Twilight's shoulder, she cupped her cheek. She tilted her head slightly to the side to avoid head butting her friend as their lips touched. Being so close to her, she could smell the lavender perfume Twilight always wore. Its scent smelled so good, which only made the redhead pull her friend closer until their bodies were touching. For a moment, she thought about making the kiss deeper but pulled away instead. 

"See?" said Sunset Shimmer, giving Twilight a half-smile. "I don't see your scars." 

Twilight Sparkle was unable to speak. Her mind was still processing what had just happened. She couldn't believe it. There was no way she just got kissed by the girl she loved. Right? Blinking, she heard the bell ringing, announcing the end of the lunch period. That jolted her out of her shocked state, enough that she could finally speak again. She was about to say something when she saw Sunset walking to the bathroom door. 

"See you later, Twi!" shouted Sunset as she exited the bathroom, leaving a stunned Twilight alone. 

"Sun-Sunset?" Twilight Sparkle got the words out, but the redhead was already gone. "I-I just got...kissed...by Sunset…"

*End of Flashback*

"She had kissed me. I still can't forget the feeling of her lips against mine…" replied Twilight, blinking out of her thoughts. 

"Yeah, I know. You didn't stop ranting about it and the meaning behind it for a month." Spike yawned. "But, if she did that, maybe that's her way of hinting that she does feel the same." 

"You know, Spike, I think you might be onto something." Twilight stifled her yawn. "Though, I will think that over when I have had a nap. Wake me up in an hour, will you?"

"Okay…" mumbled Spike, dozing off with his head on Twilight's stomach. 

*** *** *** ***

Back at Sugarcube Corner, Sunset Shimmer was sitting next to Pinkie Pie in one of the booths. They had just finished all the bake sale deliveries for the day. All of them were exhausted, but Sunset wasn't as weary or tired as she still had to break the news about how the animatronics had gotten in Canterlot City. All the girls had a cupcake and milkshakes in front of them. Pinkie Pie insisted they celebrate after their hard work. Having gone over the fact that there was a sixth one, she finished telling them about her burnt game console. 

"Woah wait, so you're telling that equestrian magic zapped your game console and brought these characters from a horror game?" asked Rainbow Dash, shocked by what she was hearing. 

"Yeah, exactly," replied Sunset Shimmer. 

"Why ain't I surprised that equestrian magic is behind this too?" said Applejack as she took a sip of her milkshake. 

"How did they get here exactly?" asked Rarity. "I mean, it can't be that they just walked out your front door, can it?"

Sunset Shimmer walked from the booth, out the front door. Pointing to the power lines that ran past the shop, she said, "See those power lines?" 

The girls all walked outside, joining Sunset. Looking up, they saw what their friend was pointing at. The power lines were discolored as if some source of heat had destroyed them. The rubber covering around the wires had become burnt to a crisp. Some parts had already crumbled away, exposing the copper wire to the open elements. Even the copper wire seemed to have some discoloration to it. Something powerful had run through there, leaving behind a literal trail. 

"Some of the magic I brought to this world must've hit my console and brought the characters of my game here," said Sunset, turning to face her friends. 

Applejack, being the sensible one of the group, looked at the lines. They were heavily damaged, yes. But there seemed to be more damage than if characters from just one game alone had mysteriously come to life. It looked like there had been more than one game that had gotten altered than it seemed. Equestrian magic was strong, and when it was trying to manipulate things in their world, it did some substantial damage. 

"Which game exactly did the characters come from again?" asked Applejack, looking at the redhead. 

"Five Nights at Freddy's, the first one," Sunset Shimmer replied. "Why?" 

"Because if it were just the first game alone, the damage on those there lines wouldn't be as extensive. Somethin' tells me that equestrian magic messed with more than your first game, Sunset," answered Applejack, pointing to the warping and discoloring of the copper wires. 

That made Sunset wonder if the magic had affected her other games, as the cowgirl said. She had just assumed it only got to her first game. Based on the fact they were the only ones running around, that they could see that was. But if it got to the other games as well, it would explain the sixth footprint set she had seen earlier. The possibility that had happened was pretty high. High enough that Sunset had to check it out. 

"You have a point, AJ. I didn't think to check if the magic had affected the rest of my games. But if there is a sixth one running around, it's feasible that it came from one of the other games." Sunset furrowed her brow as she rested a finger on her chin. 

Hidden from view, behind some bushes, was Springtrap. He had been watching the girls as they talked. It was odd to hear that he got there because of magic. As he listened to their conversation, a plan was beginning to form inside his head. 

_ "Hmm, all I need for my plan to work is some poor fool dressed as a stupid nightguard to chase those girls. Then, those fucking annoying as hell kids will take care of them." _ thought Springtrap. 

"Okay girls, we can meet at the school's gym tonight. It'll be safer than having them find out where we live," said Sunset Shimmer as she walked over to her bike. 

The girls all nodded. They wanted to figure out how to defeat the robotic nuances, Sunset especially. After all, this was most likely her fault. She had been the one to bring magic into this world. And it was magic that brought these animatronics here as well. If she hadn't brought the princess's crown into this world, none of this would've happened. 

_ "Oh, Celestia, this is all my fault…" _ thought Sunset as she swung her leg over the side of her bike. 

Springtrap watched Sunset Shimmer, waiting for her to leave. After a few minutes of keeping silent, and trying not to fall into the bushes, he saw her pull away from the shop. The sound of her motorcycle engine roaring faded as she got further away. One by one, all the other girls left as well, seemingly unaware that he was watching them. Applejack was the last of the girls to leave. Once her pick up truck left, disappearing from his view, he ventured out of the bushes. 

"Gah, that didn't help my shitty joints sitting that way. This body is such a pain in the ass," mumbled Springtrap as he stood up. 

Slowly, he walked away from the bushes, a flurry of leaves still falling off of him. His joints creaked and groaned. They hadn't been well taken care of, leaving them to rust and stiffen over time. As he continued to walk, he felt his joints loosen as some of the rust fell away. With every step, his movement became more fluid and human-like. He was headed towards one place to find an abundance of night guards: the police department. 

*** *** *** ***

At the police department, one officer had decided to eat his sandwich outside and enjoy the beautiful day. There was a park in front of the police department, and he chose to sit on a bench there. That...would be a dangerous decision on his part. As he sat down, he heard a series of loud, heavy thuds headed his way. He looked up, wanting to see what was causing the noise. What he saw made him drop his sandwich. A yellowish-green rabbit was walking straight for him. It had loose wires hanging from its ears, arms, legs, and chest. Looking down, he noticed that animatronic's legs were exposed from the shin down. But the one thing about the robotic rabbit that caught his attention, it's sheer size and height. From its ears to feet, it was roughly about 8 feet tall. 

"What the fuck?!" shouted the officer, reaching for his gun. 

Luckily, he had reloaded it before this. Aiming at Springtrap's chest, he fired off a few shots. The bullets did nothing. They just bounced off of the hard plastic and metal that was the animatronic's body. Reloading as quickly as he could manage, he again fired off of another few shots. Unfortunately, the office hadn't anticipated that Springtrap would raise his arm, blocking the bullets completely. A few bounced off and almost hit him. Thankfully, he had quick reflexes and managed to dodge the bullets with being injured himself. 

Springtrap lowered his arm once he saw that the officer had spent his ammo. Walking up to him, he gripped the officer's shirt. He watched as the officer's feet flayed beneath him as he lifted him off the bench. He covered the person's mouth, preventing them from screaming for help. Looking around and seeing no one nearby, he spoke. 

"You, Mr. Officer, are going to be a part of my plan," said Springtrap, his voice glitching as he spoke. 

The officer gulped as Springtrap's grip on his shirt tightened, cutting off his air even more. He felt the animatronic pull him closer, to his disgust. Being close to its mouth, he noticed a rancid smell, almost like decaying flesh. In a futile attempt to get away, he slammed his hands against its one arm that was holding onto him. His hands struck the hard plastic, failing to do anything to weaken the grip on his collar. When he felt the collar loosen around him, he took the chance to scream for help through the filthy, grimy hand that was covering his mouth. Yet, that only resulted in the grip on his shirt returning, even tighter than before. 

"I suggest you stop trying to scream for your pathetic friends. Unless, of course, their death is something you wish to bring upon them." hissed Springtrap, his voice sounding similar to nails on a chalkboard. 

The office obeyed and stopped screaming. Seconds later, the officer found himself dropped on the ground. With the grip gone from his shirt, he was finally able to breathe again. He took several deep breaths, replenishing his air supply in his lungs. Once he could breathe normally, he looked at the animatronic rabbit. 

"What exactly is that you need from me?" asked the office, sitting on the bench. 

Springtrap turned his back to the officer. "Do you know who Sunset Shimmer is?" 

The officer knitted his eyebrows. The name sounded familiar like he had heard it before. But where? Looking down, he tried to recall his last assignment. It was at the local high school. He was there once after the Fall Formal, helping out with his partner's shift. As he thought about that day, he recalled seeing a certain redhead with that name. From what he could remember, she was one of the students at the school. He remembered that she was being called to the principal's office when he had shown up. 

"Yeah, I know of her." said the officer, looking at Springtrap. "Why the hell do you ask?" 

Springtrap turned to face the officer. His one ear twitched, sending sparks flying out of the exposed part. His sunken robotic eyes bared down on the officer. There was a creepy human likeness to them, making them appear almost lifelike. That was not natural.

"I need you to follow her and her friends. You'll also keep in your night guard outfit. It's a part of my plan." replied Springtrap. 

The officer was confused by Springtrap saying he needed to be in his 'night guard' suit. Couldn't he see that he was a police officer? Not a night guard? Though both wear similar suits, he had the actual weapons, like his 9-millimeter Glock gun. As the questions swirled around in his head, he noticed that there was something pink and flesh-like within the confines of Springtrap's animatronic body. 

Jumping off the bench and grabbing his gun, the officer asked in a shaky voice, "Wha-what the fucking hell is inside you?!" 

Springtrap rested his hand on the front of the gun. "Oh, that?" He pulled back his head, revealing the mummified skull with the metal rods poking right through. "Is my old body mummified inside this junk ass death trap." He let his animatronic head slip back over the mummified head. 

"And what exactly to plan to do with Sunset?" asked the officer, trying to pull his gun free from Springtrap's grip. 

"That, officer, is none of your goddamn business," said Springtrap as he smashed the gun, tossing it down to the ground. "All you need to do is be where I say to be." 

"What if I decide-" The last thing the officer saw was a giant, jagged first heading straight for his face before everything disappeared and went black. 

"You humans talk way too goddamn much for my taste," said Springtrap as he sat down on the bench. 

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, in an old abandoned house near CHS, Freddy and his friends had gathered. They had managed to regroup and were discussing what they found. 

"So, a rainbow-haired girl escaped from you? The great pirate Foxy?" asked Bonnie, struggling to stifle his laughter. 

"Yes, Bonnie. It seemed like she had some super speed or something," replied Foxy, polishing his hook on the towel he had found in the house. "I have never seen a human run that fast, ever." 

Freddy, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth. Something about the girls his friends had encountered was off. Something felt different about them. It seemed like they had a connection to whatever strange, powerful force was now powering them. He noticed that when the pink-haired girl walked out of the shop, his circuits got a boost of energy, making him feel like he was on a full charge. But there was also a tug like the force was connected to her somehow. 

"Did any of you feel anything when you approached the girls? Like a-" 

"Like a tug or magnetic pull? Yes, I did." Bonnie turned to face Freddy. "I felt it when I tried to approach the purple-haired girl," replied Bonnie, interrupting Freddy.

Freddy gave the purple-blue bunny an annoyed look. He didn't much appreciate being interrupted. Freddy was their leader, after all. Not that he or they chose that. It wasn't a position Freddy wanted. Yet, here he was, being the best leader he could manage. Someday he hoped to shift to someone else, to lift the burden from his shoulders. 

Chica, who was on the lookout, spotted an officer walking past the house. 

"Guys, a night guard is walking by!" shouted Chica, pointing out the window. 

That grabbed everybody's attention. The kids all clamored around the window, trying to get a good look at the guard as he walked past the house. And sure enough, as Chica had said, a night guard was walking past the house. 

"What the fuck is he doing outside now? I thought they didn't show up until midnight," said Freddy, pushing Chica aside. "Why the hell is he out now?" 

"I don't know, but let's follow him," suggested Foxy, holding up his now polished hook. "I am dying to kill a guard tonight."

"Agreed," said Freddy. 

*** *** *** ***

The sun had just set when all the girls had arrived at the school gym. Thankfully, it wasn't locked. Canterlot City was usually pretty safe. Though, with animatronics running rampaging around, that safeness was threatened. 

"Is everyone here?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked in from the gym's entrance. 

"Yep!" shouted Pinkie Pie in her usual perky tone. "Every single one of us!" 

"Good," said Sunset as she sat down on the bleachers. 

Rarity was busy filing her nails when she looked up at Sunset Shimmer. "What's the plan, dear?" 

"I-I don't know," answered Sunset, sounding worried. "It's hard to figure out a plan when you don't know the enemy you're up against." 

Rainbow Dash took a three-pointer shot, catching the ball as it fell through the net. Ball in hand, she raced over to the girls. "Well then, what do we know about these creepy robots?" asked Rainbow Dash, tossing the ball back into the cart, landing the shot. 

"They're tall, strong, and terrifying…" mumbled Fluttershy as she hugged her knees to her chest. 

"They are robots of some kind, and we've seen five of them," added Rarity. 

"That we know, Shy," interjected Applejack. "If Sunset is right, and equestrian magic did bring those damned robots here to our town, there's no tellin' how many it brought with them." 

"It was magic that brought them here," said Twilight Sparkle, making all the girls look at her, waiting for her much more elaborate, detailed explanation. 

"We have animatronics here, yes, but they are only to move the upper portion of themselves. We don't have the tech to be able to make the animatronics do what these animatronics can. It's beyond our capabilities," continued Twilight.

"Besides, their movements were very fluid and lifelike, almost human-like," said Sunset Shimmer as she sat next to Twilight Sparkle. "That, combined with their appearance, makes it clear they are not of this world." 

"Animatronics? I thought they were robots," said Rainbow Dash, looking from Sunset to Twilight. "What's the difference?" 

"Robots and animatronics are programmed to follow commands that have gotten programmed into their motherboards," said Twilight Sparkle. 

"The only difference being one is supposed to act more like us," added Sunset Shimmer. "While the other is supposed to do a job or something like that." 

"Like the robotic massagers at the day spa?" asked Rarity, putting away her file. 

"Yeah, pretty much," said Twilight, looking at Sunset and giving her a wink. "Animatronics are usually just mimicking things that are alive, while robots perform jobs and tasks." 

"The robotic apocalypse will come one day…" said Pinkie Pie, standing behind Applejack, holding her friend's arm. "They will take control of all of us…" she slowly hid her face behind the cowgirl's back.

The girls all stared at her, blinking at her antics. Pinkie Pie was known to have a silly streak to her. But sometimes it was just plain weird, sometimes even creepy. Yet, she was their friend, so they didn't mind. Applejack saw Pinkie Pie jump out from behind her, giggling as she did a cartwheel. Yep, she was back to her usual perky self again. 

"Ah, okay," said Rainbow Dash. "So, they are essentially complex robots built to mimic anything alive? Except for the ones from the game that are advanced in tech as well, and now are running on magic instead of electricity?" 

"Uh...yeah, that is one way to put it, I guess," said Twilight Sparkle. 

"I am still calling them robots. 'Animatronics' is too long to say, especially when I go whoop their asses." stated the polychromatic haired athlete, crossing her arms. 

"The question is, what exactly are those things doing here? And are they dangerous to us and the city? Especially now that it's magic that's powering them, not electricity," said Twilight, turning to Sunset Shimmer. 

Sunset Shimmer looked down, feeling her guilt grip her again. It was hard to think all this was because of her past actions. It seemed that the saying 'what goes around, comes around' was right. And it seemed she was again paying for her bad choices in judgment. 

"Yeah, what do they want, Sunset?" added Applejack, looking at the redhead. "What is their purpose in the game?" 

"Well," she started. "In the game, the animatronics come to life at midnight, looking for the night guard, which is the player. But they don't know that they are a night guard. They think it's an endoskeleton without a costume." Sunset Shimmer paused, taking a breath. "So, they'll try to shove them into an animatronic suit. The suits' design makes it impossible for a human to fit inside, meaning they'll die. And basically, you survive until 6 am. There five nights of that, six if you can beat all the other levels." 

"Oh my, that sounds horrible…" said Fluttershy, going pale as she covered her mouth. 

"Woah, that is awesome!" said Rainbow Dash. 

Applejack glared at her. "Maybe in the game. But if that is their intention with us, it's a lot less awesome." 

"Okay...you have a point there. Being stuffed into a suit in real life doesn't sound as awesome." Rainbow Dash rubbed her neck nervously. "Hehe, don't suppose there is any way we can permanently shut them down, is there?" 

"Hmm, maybe if we can somehow reach the kids possessing them, maybe we can neutralize them," said Sunset Shimmer. 

"What kids?" asked Pinkie Pie. 

"There are supposedly five kids that got killed, their bodies later stuffed into the animatronics themselves," answered Sunset, her voice lowering as she spoke. "That's the backstory to the game." 

"That sounds horrible," said Rarity. "Do you think that would work?" 

"Assuming their souls got transferred as well, yes." Sunset glanced at Twilight Sparkle. "What do you think, Twi?" 

"As you said, if their souls made it through the transfer, that might be possible. With your geode, you could bring them back, and they'll hopefully be on our side instead of against us." Twilight said, making the calculations on her head. "But, there is only a 35.34% chance that is likely to happen." 

All the girls looked down, saddened by the chances of their only real plan working. They were hoping it would work, but the odds were against them. Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to say something to cheer her friends up, she heard a loud noise. All the girls looked at the gym entrance, only in time to see the doors flung open. A terrified police officer ran past them, terror in his eyes. 

"Get out of here!" he screamed, darting for the other exit out of the gymnasium. 

Looking back at the other entrance, they saw the four animatronics standing in the doorway. Thankfully, it seemed Golden Freddy didn't want to join the fight. Yet, that did little to improve their chances of walking away unharmed. As Sunset Shimmer stood in front of her friends, ready to battle them, only one thing came to her mind. 

"Well...fuck," she whispered as the animatronics' eyes all flickered to red. "This isn't gonna end well." 


	3. Night 3: Plan A for Animatronic Failure

*Present Day*

Finally, arriving at her apartment, Sunset Shimmer unlocked her door and let the girls in. Following behind Twilight Sparkle, she walked in and relocked her door behind her. Setting her keys down, she sighed, her exhaustion finally catching up to her. 

"Make yourselves at home, girls," said Sunset, making her way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. 

Twilight Sparkle made her way to the couch, her tired feet aching. Though the walk from CHS wasn't long, it didn't help her tired muscles. And because she was already sore, the trek only worsened her pain. But all thoughts about her sore feet or tired muscles vanished as she sat on the soft cushioned seats. A wave of relief washed over her, making her sigh and almost fall asleep right there. The sound of a drawer opening made Twilight Sparkle look in the direction of the noise. She found Fluttershy had grabbed a phone charger from it. With the mysterious sound solved, she rested her head on the back of the couch, her eyelids threatening to close on her. 

Sunset Shimmer grabbed a glass of water just as Pinkie Pie skipped over to the kitchen. She smiled, Pinkie Pie's happy mood seemed to be infectious. It was good to see that the fight seemed not to have taken away her friend's cheerful disposition. 

"Hey, Pinkie. What can I do for you?" asked Sunset as she set her glass down.

"Hey, Sunset. Got anything sweet in the kitchen?" asked Pinkie Pie, standing near the counter. 

"Hmm, I have some leftover triple chocolate layered cake. That work for you?" asked Sunset, opening the small fridge and looking around. 

"You have any whipped cream?" asked Pinkie Pie, leaning on the counter. 

"Let me see…" Sunset Shimmer rummaged around in the fridge and found an unopened can of whipped cream she had bought a week prior. 

"Yep!" shouted Sunset, turning around and showing the whipped cream to Pinkie Pie. "One can of whipped cream." 

"Good. Now hand it over and that piece of cake, and we've got a deal," said Pinkie Pie as she grabbed a fork from a drawer next to her. 

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, smirking a little. It was always amazing how much sugar her pink-haired friend ate. There had been some days where she had seen her eat a dozen doughnuts, at least three cans of whipped cream, and a small cake all in one day. How her friend didn't have diabetes was a complete mystery to her. And one that the redhead knew she would never solve, even if she tried. 

Pulling the saran wrap off the cake, she set it and the whipped cream down, Sunset said, "Here you go, Pinkie. Enjoy!" 

"Thanks!" said Pinkie Pie as she opened the whipped cream and put a huge pile of it on top of the cake. 

Meanwhile, in the living room, Rainbow Dash was sitting on the other end of the couch. Sitting back, she let her muscles relax. As she moved her feet around, she felt what were holes in her shoes. On a hunch, she took off her shoes and checked the bottoms of them. 

"Dammit!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she saw the burnt soles which  _ had  _ been her shoes. "That's the second pair this month!" 

As the polychromatic haired girl held up her sneakers, the girls saw the holes had gotten burnt into the heels of her shoes. The edges around the holes were burnt almost to a crisp and were black, contrasting against the natural white color of the rubber. There were a few chuckles. It wasn't unusual for Rainbow Dash to burn through her sneakers. Ever since she had received her geode, she would burn through shoes -literally- every month. 

Applejack leaned against the back of the couch, next to Rainbow Dash. "Dash, you might wanna find a geode for your shoes. No shoes can handle your constant speedin' 'round." 

"I wish! Buying shoes every month is taking a toll on my paycheck." Rainbow Dash sighed and tossed her shoes on the floor. "And I am trying to save up for a new video game console. I may or may not have busted my last one when I lost to Scootaloo." 

"Doesn't surprise me. Just hope you'll remember  _ not _ to hit your console the next time you go gettin' mad 'cause you lost," said Applejack, standing upright again. 

Rarity walked over to the cowgirl, no longer able to ignore the torn sleeve dangling from Applejack's shoulder. As she walked over to her friend, she grabbed the shirt sleeve, examining it. 

"Neither can your clothes, AJ. This is the fifth shirt you've ripped this week," said Rarity, as she tried to figure out a quick stitch to fix the sleeve. "You've got to slow down, or you'll be out of shirts by next week." 

"No shirt can contain these muscles!" exclaimed Applejack proudly as she flexed her arm, showing off her toned biceps. 

Rarity, admiring the cowgirl's toned physique, wrapped her hand around her friend's arm. She squeezed her bicep, smiling as she felt the strength of the muscle pushing against her gentle squeeze. Her cheeks felt unusually warm as she glanced at Applejack's green eyes. As their eyes met, she looked away, hiding a sheepish smile. 

"Erm, Rare? Can you let go of my arm?" asked Applejack, her cheeks turning a bright red. 

Rarity, finally pulled out of her thoughts and daydreams, let go of Applejack's arm. Her cheeks were now really hot and turning a pinkish color as she heard a few snickers coming from the group, but most of them were coming from Rainbow Dash. 

"Sunset, do you still have your sewing kit?" asked Rarity, focusing back on fixing Applejack's shoulder. 

"Yep. It's under my bed, on the left-hand side," replied Sunset Shimmer. 

"Thank you, dear," said Rarity. Turning to Applejack, she pulled her towards the stairs. "Now, let's get this tear fixed for now."

As Applejack got pulled away, she saw Rainbow Dash waggle her eyebrows. That made the cowgirl glare angrily at her. But before she could do anything more, she felt another forceful tug on her arm. Deciding that if she couldn't talk Rarity out of fixing her shirt, she might as well go with her and let her do it. Besides, it would give them some private time, and she wouldn't mind staring at Rarity's radiance for a little while longer. 

"Uh, am I missing something?" asked Sunset, walking in and sitting next to Twilight. 

"Nope. Just that Applejack and Rarity were going up to your room. Maybe they'll-" 

"Don't even think about sayin' that, Dash!" shouted Applejack, interrupting Rainbow Dash before she could finish her sentence. 

"Or you'll what? Come down here and punch me while showing off your impressive muscles to Rarity?" asked Rainbow Dash, raising one eyebrow and looking at Applejack. 

"Dash, why I-" Applejack stopped when she felt a hand resting on her leg. 

"Don't, AJ. You know she was trying to push your buttons. Just ignore her and focus..." Rarity grabbed Applejack's cheek, pulling the cowgirl's eyes to meet hers. "On me." 

As Applejack looked at Rarity's blue eyes, her anger slowly dissipated. As she grabbed her friend's hand, she felt her heart race at the touch. It was gentle, like a feather, and she never wanted to let go of her hand. Squeezing it, she allowed a small grateful smile show. After a few minutes, she relaxed and let her friend continue stitching up her sleeve. 

"And...that solves that mystery," said Sunset Shimmer as she and Twilight Sparkle both snickered at the annoyed expression their rainbow-haired friend had. 

"Whatever!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, clearly not happy. "I'm gonna grab a coke, okay?" 

"Uh, sure. The cokes on the bottom shelf, in the back," replied Sunset Shimmer as Rainbow Dash got up and walked past her. 

"Uh, what time is it?" Twilight Sparkle asked no one in particular. 

"10:14 pm," said Fluttershy, turning her phone on to look at the time. 

"Alright, we should eat and then get some sleep," said Sunset, getting up and walking towards the kitchen. 

Once she was in the kitchen, she looked through her two small cabinets, which sat on either side of the sink. In the one were bowls, mugs, and assorted cooking utensils. In the other was a few boxes of pancake mix. Pancakes were Sunset's favorite breakfast food. Though she only made them on the weekends. Below the shelf of pancake mix, was two loads of bread, one looked like it was half-eaten already. The other one was untouched, a sign that it was recently purchased.

"Okay, so we have pancake mix, bread for sandwiches, or…" Sunset Shimmer opened her freezer door, seeing the freezer stocked with two stacks of frozen pizza. "Frozen Pizza. Any volunteers to cook?" 

No one said anything. Exhaustion from the fight had worn all the girls out. Even Sunset Shimmer didn't fancy the idea of standing by a hot stove. She turned around, waiting for any of her friends to volunteer. As she saw the girls all look from one to another, she figured out what they wanted. 

"Alright, frozen pizza, it is then," said Sunset, turning around and walking over to the oven. 

"I'll help you, Sunset," said Twilight Sparkle, getting up and walking to the kitchen. 

As Sunset Shimmer turned the oven on, Twilight Sparkle walked over to the freezer. As she opened it, there was a cold blast of air. She shivered for a moment before the warmth of the stove warmed her up. Upon inspection, she saw that was very little else but pizzas. It seemed to be all the freezer had, besides a few popsicles and a small container of chocolate ice cream sitting in the corner. 

"Woah...that's a lot of pizza, Sunset," said Twilight in awe at the two shelves stocked from top to bottom with pizzas. She grabbed 4 of the boxes and closed the freezer door. 

"Hehe, that's one of the perks of living by myself. Fewer dishes to clean," answered Sunset, grabbing two pizza pans and setting them onto the counter. 

"How do you eat so much pizza and yet, still look so amazing?" asked Twilight as she opened the pizzas and removed them from their boxes. 

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip and blushed at the compliment. As she looked at Twilight, their eyes met. For a moment, Sunset couldn't move or think. She just got lost in the endless sea that was Twilight's violet eyes. If it were possible, she would never look away. There was a glow, something that made her friend capture her heart and keep it. But the redhead was more than willing to let her friend have her heart, only if it meant that she could keep her close. 

"Uh, Sunset? Are you alright?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she waved a hand in front of Sunset's face. 

Sunset Shimmer blinked and looked away when she realized she had been staring at her friend. 

"Oh, uh, yeah. I am okay, Twi," said Sunset, reassuring her friend. 

Smiling, Twilight Sparkle gave her a small hug. "So, are you going to answer my earlier question?" 

Sunset Shimmer gave Twilight a coy smile and winked. "That…that is just going to have to remain one of life's mysteries." 

Twilight Sparkle gave her a full smile before turning her attention back to the pizzas. She unboxed the last pizza and tossed the boxes into the recycle bin near the fridge. As she walked back over to where Sunset was, she wanted to reach out and hold her hand. But she decided not to when the butterflies in her stomach became too much. 

"Well, I envy you, Ms. Mystery," said Twilight, chuckling a little. "I wish I could have your appetite and still look the same." 

"You look beautiful, Twi," said Sunset, unaware of what she just said. But the growing blush on Twilight cheeks made her realize, and she hurriedly turned away, opening the cabinet containing her glasses. 

"D-do you mean that Sunset?" asked Twilight, trying to keep her cheeks from heating up. 

After grabbing seven glasses, Sunset Shimmer set them down on the counter. She turned around and grabbed Twilight's hand as she saw her move it away. 

"Yes, I do. You could eat as much pizza as you want and still look beautiful to me," said Sunset leaning closer to Twilight and squeezing her hand. 

Twilight's blush grew even more. Having Sunset Shimmer so close to her and holding her hand was making her heart thunder. If she could have, she would've grabbed Sunset's shirt and pulled her into a kiss. There was a strong desire to do that. But she pushed it aside, reminding herself that Sunset Shimmer may not reciprocate her feelings. Despite enjoying the feeling of holding Sunset's hand, she pulled away. 

"Th-thanks," said Twilight, looking away. 

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the glasses and handed them to Twilight Sparkle. "Would you mind helping me carry these into the living room, please?" 

"Sure, Sunset," said Twilight, taking some of the glasses and walking into the living room. 

After a half-hour of eating pizza and making various jokes about the crazy animatronics they fought, the four pizzas were all eaten. Sunset and Twilight had decided to clean up while the rest of the girls got ready for bed. As Sunset walked into the kitchen carrying all four pizza pans, she saw that Twilight was behind her, taking four glasses in one and three in the other. 

"Here, let me help you," Sunset Shimmer said, taking the three glasses from Twilight. 

Twilight Sparkle adjusted the four glasses between her hands and said, "Thanks. I was getting a bit worried that I would drop them." 

"You're welcome. And trust me, I have dropped a few glasses." Sunset set the glasses and pans in the sink. "That's why they are plastic." 

"Wait a minute, what?! They're plastic?" asked Twilight, shocked. As she examined the glasses in her hands, she couldn't believe they were plastic. "Bu-but how…?" 

"Don't know. Guess plastic is an excellent imitator of glass when done right," said Sunset as she took the four glasses from Twilight and set them in the sink, next to the other three. 

"Guess so." Twilight yawned and stretched her arms. "Well, I am going to change into my pajamas."

"Okay, Sparky. Join me in the living room when you've finished. I will have some sleeping bags set up for us and the girls." Sunset said, trying to stifle her yawn. 

"Okay, Sunset." Twilight Sparkle yawned again and made her way to the bathroom. 

Just as Twilight closed the door, Rainbow Dash walked over to the kitchen. She was wearing a loose t-shirt and pants. On the front, her shirt had the symbol of a cloud and a tri-colored lighting bolt coming from it. Sunset wasn't sure if Rainbow Dash had just grabbed her pants randomly or if they went with the shirt. But either way, it always seemed out of place. Then again, all her pajamas were very similar, with the one difference being that she could do shorts or pants. Still leaning against the counter, she smiled at her friend. 

"Hey Dash, you are probably looking for the sleeping bags, right?" asked Sunset Shimmer, raising her one eyebrow. 

"Bingo! So, where are they?" asked Rainbow Dash. 

Sunset Shimmer walked out of the kitchen, heading towards a large metal cabinet which stood near the bathroom door. It was a foot or so taller than the two girls. But it was large, nearly filling the space between the stairs and the bathroom door. On it was a single lock with a keyhole on the bottom. Leaning against the wall, Rainbow Dash watched as Sunset pulled a key from under a box. She raised both her eyebrows as she crossed her arms. 

"Really, Sunset? Underneath a box?" Rainbow Dash's tone was almost mocking. "How predictable." 

"What? It's the only place I have for it right now. Besides, I don't trust my new neighbors." retorted Sunset as she unlocked the lock. 

"Okay, okay," said Rainbow Dash, holding up her hands. "Don't go getting all Demon Shimmer on me." 

That earned Rainbow Dash a firm punch on her forearm from the redhead, who was now glaring at her. She flinched as her friend readied herself to make another strike. 

"Ow, that hurt!" shouted Rainbow Dash, rubbing her sore arm. 

"Don't bring that up when Twilight is here. I don't want her to know...yet." hissed Sunset, opening the doors to the cabinet and setting the lock on the floor. 

In the cabinet were a row of sleeping bags sitting on the bottom shelf. Sunset had gathered them for some reason she couldn't remember. It might have been for a prank back when she was the bully of CHS. But she couldn't remember, nor did she care for the reason. They had a purpose now, and that was it. 

"She'll eventually find out, you know that, right?" asked Rainbow Dash, pushing herself off the wall. 

"Yes, Rainbow. I do know that." Sunset said, grabbing a sleeping bag and throwing it at the rainbow-haired girl. "Thanks for the reminder. I may punch you again just for that." 

"Please, don't. For a pony from another dimension, you punch hard. Like,  _ really  _ hard. And I need this arm for baseball practice tomorrow." Rainbow Dash said as she caught her sleeping bag. 

"Fine. But don't speak another word about... _ Demon Shimmer _ ." Sunset Shimmer whispered the last words as she saw Applejack and Rarity coming down the stairs from her bed. 

Applejack and Rarity joined Sunset Shimmer by the cabinet. The redhead looked down and noticed that the cowgirl was holding the fashionista's hand. A smile made its way to her face as she saw that. She was happy that Applejack and Rarity had each other. As her thoughts drifted from her friends to Twilight, she sighed. She only wished that she could do the same with her crush. But until she could admit her past, she knew it was never going to happen. Realizing that she was getting lost in thought, she shook her head, clearing her mind. Looking at the cabinet, she proceeded to get two more sleeping bags. Grabbing them, she walked over to friends. 

"Here's your sleeping bags, girls," said Sunset as the two girls grabbed their bags from her. 

"Thanks again, Sunset. We appreciate you letting us all sleep here tonight," said Rarity, giving Sunset a one-armed hug. 

Sunset hugged Rarity back, saying, "You're welcome, Rare. It's the least I can do for you girls." 

As Rarity pulled her arm away, she felt something ...bumpy. It felt like a scar of some sort. But why? Sunset didn't have any wounds like hers, not that she knew of anyway. She saw Sunset flinch a little, confirming her suspicion that she had you touched something, something that was  _ very _ sensitive. 

"Are you okay, Sunset?" Applejack asked, seeing Sunset flinch as well. 

Sunset Shimmer stepped back and looked away. "Uh, yeah. Just sore from being slammed against a brick wall. It turns out they are pretty solid." Sunset lied, not wanting her friends -especially Twilight- to find out about her scars. 

"Well...okay, dear. But if you need anything, just come to us," said Rarity, giving Sunset a sympathetic smile. 

"I know, and I will if I need to," said Sunset, trying to change the subject. "Go ahead and find your spots to lay down. I will give Fluttershy and Pinkie their sleeping bags." 

"Okay," said Applejack before she and Rarity walked over to the couch. 

Sunset Shimmer saw Rainbow Dash walk up to where her bed sat. She figured that her friend needed to be in a less crowded area. And maybe...she wanted to give Applejack and Rarity their privacy. Sighing, she focused on grabbing two more sleeping bags from the cabinet. She walked over to where Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were. As she approached the couch, she found that Pinkie Pie was sleeping on the animal lover's lap. 

"Shhh. Pinkie Pie's sleeping," whispered Fluttershy, holding a finger to her lips. 

"Okay. Well, whenever you are ready, here's your sleeping bags. Sorry if they are kind of dusty. I haven't used them in a while." Sunset said, setting them down on the floor next to Fluttershy. 

"It's fine, Sunset. It's more than enough that you shared your apartment with us, even though it's barely big enough for you," Fluttershy gave Sunset a small smile. 

"I'm just happy to have you girls here. I love our sleepovers. Especially when Pinkie Pie plans them." Sunset chuckled. "She does go all out, doesn't she?" 

"Yep. Pinkie Pie loves planning a variety of parties. But especially our sleepovers." replied Fluttershy, gently rubbing Pinkie's shoulder as she talked. 

"Hey, have you seen Twilight?" asked Sunset, looking around the room. "I haven't seen her since she left to go to the bathroom." 

"No, I haven't either. Twilight might still be in the bathroom," said Fluttershy, looking at the bathroom. "The light is still on." 

That made Sunset Shimmer look behind her. As she looked at the bathroom door, she could see the light was on. But there seemed to be no one moving around. It was silent, making her worry that something had happened to Twilight. 

Turning back to Fluttershy, she said, "I am going to check in on Twilight. Do you need anything else?" 

"No. Go, make sure Twilight is alright," replied Fluttershy. 

With that, Sunset Shimmer made her way to the bathroom door. As she got closer, she heard a faint sound. Stepping up to the door, Sunset tried to make out what the noise. After a few seconds, she realized it was someone crying. Leaning back from the door, she wondered what was bothering Twilight. She decided to make sure she was okay. 

Knocking three times with the back of her hand, she said, "Sparky…? Are you okay?" 

Twilight Sparkle, who was sitting on top of the toilet with her knees pulled to her chest, looked up at the door. Still crying, unshed tears blurred her vision. But as she blinked, her vision cleared up, and the tears fell down her face. She wiped the fallen tears off her cheeks. As she went to get up, she saw the mirror. She had her shirt off, leaving only her bra to cover her chest. But that did very little to hide the ugly scars which covered her shoulder blades. Taking a deep breath, she slowly got up from her sitting position, making sure to ignore her reflection in the mirror. As she gripped the doorknob, she heard Sunset step away from the door. She opened the door a crack and looked at Sunset. 

"Y-yes, I am okay," said Twilight, hoping Sunset would see she wasn't okay without letting the other girls know. 

Sunset Shimmer looked at her friend. She could see tears were dripping off her chin and jaw. It was clear she had just stopped crying moments ago. Twilight's eyes were also red and little puffy as if she had been crying for the last 20 minutes or so. By the sound of her voice, she could tell that she had been stifling her sobs, which made her voice sound weaker than usual. 

"You don't sound okay, Twi," said Sunset, resting her hand on the door. "Can I come in?" 

Reluctantly, Twilight Sparkle opened the door, eyeing the others to make sure they weren't watching them. Stepping aside, she let Sunset Shimmer come in. Once the redhead was in the room, she closed the door quietly, not wanting to alert their friends to what was going on. After closing the door, she stood in front of the mirror, not wanting to see her teary-eyed reflection. 

"What's wrong, Twilight?" asked Sunset, wiping a tear off Twilight's cheek. "You can tell me." 

Twilight Sparkle lifted an arm, placing it on her shoulder. Her fingers barely touched the edges of the left scar. But what she could feel made her want to pull away. It was hard to  _ see _ the injury, but  _ feeling _ it was another experience. One she didn't need nor want. Standing in the silence, she looked down, unable to say anything. 

As Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight Sparkle touch her shoulder, she looked in the mirror. Where her friend's fingers rested was one of two scars caused by becoming Midnight Sparkle. She had never seen them so close before. The most she had seen was glimpses as Twilight was careful to keep them hidden. But now, they were almost visible, with Twilight's bra straps hiding only small sections. 

"It's…" Twilight began, but her voice cracked, and she struggled to continue.

"It's about your scars, isn't Twi?" asked Sunset, pulling Twilight's chin up, so their eyes met. 

"Yes." The weak response was all Twilight could manage as she stared into Sunset's cyan eyes. They seemed almost to swallow her the longer she looked into them. 

"Want to talk about it?" asked Sunset Shimmer, letting her hand fall away from Twilight's chin. Instead, she rested just above the right scar, hoping it would relax her friend. 

"N-not really," said Twilight, trying not to flinch as she felt the tips of Sunset's fingers rest just above the scar. 

As Sunset moved her hand, she felt Twilight flinch. She pulled away, worried that she had done something wrong. As she looked at Twilight, she realized that she had scared her by almost touching her scars. When she saw that, she remembered her wounds. And all the times, she flinched when Applejack or any of the girls hugged her or touched her shoulders in any way. 

"Okay, Twilight. I won't push," said Sunset, leaning against the wall. "Should I wait out-" 

"No!" shouted Twilight, cutting Sunset off. "I mean, I would like to talk about it, but I am scared. I still remember what happened at camp…" 

"I know. It's been hard on you. I can see that. But..." Sunset stepped closer to Twilight, grabbing her hand. "You can trust me, Sparky." 

"Sunset…?" asked Twilight, her voice cracking as she fought past her nervousness. 

"What is it, Twilight?" Sunset said, looking into her friend's eyes, seeing that she was nervous...and vulnerable. 

"Do you hate my scars? Or…" Twilight wasn't sure if she could finish her question. She didn't know if she could handle the answer if it were no. But she had to ask; she needed to know. 

Sunset Shimmer didn't say anything. Instead, she slowly removed her hand from Twilight's, moving it up her arm. Letting her fingers trace every line of the girl's arm, she made sure to memorize them. Her fingers delicately made their way closer to her shoulder, slowing down the closer she got. As she got to her shoulder, she stopped for a moment. She waited to see if her friend was okay and willing to let her touch the scar.

As if Twilight Sparkle knew what she was asking for, she got a small nod of approval. Keeping a gentle touch, Sunset let her fingers touch the edge of the scars, not wanting to startle her friend. Still moving, she rested her hand over the surface of the injury. She could feel the bumpy skin underneath her fingers. It was still soft to the touch, almost as if a wing had never sprouted from it. Resting her hand down on the scar, she squeezed Twilight's shoulder. 

"Sparky…" 

"You hate them, don't you?" asked Twilight, not giving Sunset Shimmer a chance to finish. 

"Twilight, look at the mirror, at me," said Sunset as she leaned closer to her friend. 

Twilight took a deep breath and did as Sunset asked. As she looked at the mirror, she saw that Sunset's hand was still over her right scar. As she looked at the redhead, she noticed that she had a smile on her face. 

"I don't hate your scars, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer gave Twilight's shoulder a firm squeeze. "I love them and...you." 

"R-really?" asked Twilight Sparkle, shocked by Sunset's words. 

"Yes, Twi. I meant what I said," replied Sunset, letting her hand fall from Twilight's shoulder as she walked around to face her directly. "They make you beautiful...to me." 

There it was again — that nagging desire to pull Sunset into a kiss. The redhead was making it near impossible  _ not _ to do that when she was standing so close. As she stared into Sunset's eyes, she felt herself wanting to be closer to her. Her mind wanted her to kiss the beautiful redhead. But her conscience told her not to as it was too risky. She looked away, afraid that she would give in to that desire and ruin the moment they were having. 

"Th-thanks, Sunset," stammered Twilight, becoming flustered. 

"You're welcome." Sunset Shimmer stepped back, hiding her flushed cheeks. "Should I let you finish getting ready for bed now that you're doing better?" 

"Yeah," said Twilight, stifling a yawn. 

"Okay. I will have a sleeping bag for you when you finish here," Sunset said as she opened the door. "I'm thrilled you're here." 

"Me too," said Twilight Sparkle as Sunset Shimmer closed the door. 

*** *** *** ***

Three hours later, Twilight Sparkle was lying in her sleeping bag, her hands gripping the top of it tightly. Even though it wasn't cold, there was a chill in the air that made Twilight's skin form goosebumps as it touched her hands. As she shivered, she heard someone sigh softly, as if they were too afraid to wake her up. That made Twilight sit up from her position on the floor. She grabbed her glasses, which were sitting on the dresser. Now able to see, she saw it was Sunset who had sighed. 

"Sunset...? What time is it?" asked Twilight, making sure to keep her voice low. She didn't want to disturb the other girls. 

Sunset Shimmer blinked out of her daze, not expecting to hear a voice calling her name. She looked over to her left and saw that Twilight was looking at her, perched on her elbow. 

Sunset gave her an apologetic smile as she said, "Sorry. Did I wake you, Twi?" 

"No, you didn't. The usual me being cold did," said Twilight, moving from her elbow to sitting up. "Are you okay, Sunset?" 

"It's nothing that you need to worry about," Sunset answered, giving Twilight a small but tired smile. "Go back to sleep, Twi." 

Twilight Sparkle, not known for giving in, got up and laid in front of Sunset Shimmer. She reached a hand towards the redhead, letting her fingers rest on her forearm. Gently, she squeezed the girl's arm in a comforting manner. 

"Sunset, please tell me what's going on." insisted Twilight, looking at the redhead's cyan eyes, hoping she could see she was genuinely worried for her and wanted to help. 

Sunset Shimmer looked away, hiding her eyes from Twilight. She could see the worry, which darkened her eyes and diminished the violet color in them. She stared down at her hands, wondering if she should tell Twilight. 

Seeing Sunset look away, Twilight's hand moved down to where Sunset's hands were. As she got closer to one of them, she intertwined her fingers with Sunset's, pulling herself closer in the process. As she rested her arm on Sunset, she used her other one to pull the redhead's eyes to her. She could see that Sunset was resistant to speak, something she had experience with. But she hoped that she could make Sunset know that she didn't have to hide anything from her.

"Please, talk to me…" whispered Twilight, her voice soft and calming. 

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, ignoring the part of her that didn't like being vulnerable. That was something she had always struggled with, even with the rest of the girls. The only person -well not person per se, more like somepony- she had confided in, was Princess Twilight. She was the only one that Sunset could talk to for the longest time. But here, in front of her, was her human counterpart. She was just as smart, if not more intelligent than the princess, yet she was so much quieter than her. That was one of the many things she had come to admire about Twilight. For all the smarts she had, the purple-haired girl seemed to be clueless about a lot of things, especially her feelings for her. Deciding that it was okay to let Twilight in, she closed her eyes and sighed. 

"It's my fault," said Sunset Shimmer after a few moments of silence. 

"What is your fault?" Twilight Sparkle asked, a look of confusion on her face. But no sooner had she asked that did she realized what Sunset meant. "Oh...right." 

"Those robots are only here because of loose equestrian magic. Equestrian magic, which  _ I _ brought here. And somehow...that magic got to my game and made all of...this happen." said Sunset, looking at Twilight. 

Propping herself onto her elbow, she continued. "I mean, why me? I know I didn't choose this. All I did was get mad at a game. But I didn't want rogue magic to do something to it and make the characters come to life. Even if that magic was brought here...by me…" 

Twilight Sparkle squeezed Sunset's hand, hoping to comfort her. Her other hand had begun to rub Sunset's one shoulder, almost instinctively. It was like some part of her wanted to comfort Sunset, as the redhead had done for her. As she continued to rub Sunset's shoulder, she saw her friend smile contently as she seemed to be enjoying the touch. 

"The magic may have hit your game, but it wasn't your fault. Based on what I learned from the Friendship Games and what happened at Camp Everfree, the magic isn't completely controllable." Twilight stopped rubbing Sunset's shoulder. "You can't take responsibility for what the magic does on its own." 

Grabbing a fistful of her hair, Sunset said, "But Twilight, I brought the magic here. I did that without even thinking about-" 

"No, Sunset. You can't blame yourself. The magic chose to do this, not you." said Twilight, stopping Sunset from speaking. 

"But all I seem to do is attract haywire magic. The Friendship Games, Camp Everfree, and the Battle of the Bands are good examples." Sunset's voice was weaker than before, almost as if she was struggling to speak. 

"Hey, none of those were your fault. Especially the Battle of the Bands. You can't choose who does what with the magic. You also can't control what the magic chooses to do, even if you brought it here." Twilight felt her voice quivering as she spoke. "Please, don't blame yourself…" 

"But none of this would have happened if I hadn't brought magic here." Sunset's voice cracked as she struggled to keep it from breaking down. "This...this is all my fault. Worst of all, I have no idea how to fix this…" 

Twilight Sparkle couldn't stand to see her friend like this. Pulling her hand free from Sunset's, she adjusted her position so she could sit in front of her. Gently, she slipped her arms around Sunset, pulling her into a hug. As she slipped her arms around Sunset's waist, she hugged her tightly. 

Sunset Shimmer, taken aback by Twilight unexpectedly hugging her, just sat still for a moment. But as she felt Twilight hug her tightly, she let herself relax and hug her friend back. Her head rested in the crook of Twilight's neck, the scent of lavender wafting up towards her. Lifting her hand, she gripped the hem of Twilight's shirt and pulled her closer to her.

"Thank you, Twi…" whispered Sunset Shimmer as she rested her head on Twilight's shoulder. 

"We'll figure this out, Sunset." Twilight's voice was soft but firm. "We all always do. You have me...and the girls. Together, we'll fix this." 

Sunset Shimmer took a shuddering breath, trying to keep herself from crying. She felt better knowing that Twilight was there for her. Feeling Twilight's arm around her waist, she felt safe. She felt secure. That was a feeling that Sunset wanted to keep. As she sat there in Twilight's arms, her breathing slowed down. 

"Sunset…" Twilight Sparkle pulled back from Sunset, looking directly into her eyes as she spoke. "I know that you can't help but feel that you're responsible. Which...only shows that you have a beautiful heart. And that is something I admire about you." 

As Sunset looked at Twilight, a smile made its way onto her face as she heard her friend's words. To learn that Twilight thought she had a beautiful heart, it made her blush. 

"I think you have a beautiful heart too, Twilight," Sunset said, her smile widening. 

"You know, Sunset, I don't know where...or who I would be if I hadn't met you and the girls. But especially...you. I have never met someone...so amazing." Twilight couldn't help but share her feelings when it came to Sunset. Something about the redhead made her fearless. But...only when she was around her. 

"Thanks, Twi," said Sunset, leaning closer to Twilight. 

As Sunset Shimmer leaned closer, Twilight felt herself doing the same. Staring into Sunset's eyes, she felt that desire to kiss her again. It made her heart thunder in her chest and her pulse race. The thought of kissing the redhead, of pulling her into a passionate kiss, made her body tremble slightly from the rush of pure excitement and adrenaline as it washed over her. Her eyes drifted to her friend's lips as she slowly leaned in. 

Sunset Shimmer saw that Twilight Sparkle was leaning towards her. She realized what was possibly going to happen. That made her want to continue to let the kiss happen. But the sound of Rainbow Dash shifting in her sleep stopped Sunset. Turning to look at her friend, she could see that she was starting to stir. Deciding it was best not to let the kiss happen, she tilted her head to the side and gave Twilight a small peck on the cheek. 

_ "Maybe next time Sparky…"  _ thought Sunset as she sat back and laid down. 

As she saw Twilight blush, she said, "We should get some sleep. We still have school tomorrow. And the job of dealing with those animatronics." 

Twilight Sparkle started to remove her arm from around Sunset's waist when a hand stopped her. Looking down, she saw that it was Sunset who had stopped her. She felt the redhead squeeze her hand gently. 

"Stay...please." Sunset's voice was soft and warm. "I know you're cold. I could keep you warm, I mean if you want me to that is." 

Twilight Sparkle smiled and laid down next to Sunset. Her head sat just below the redhead's, allowing her to rest on her shoulder. As she laid next to Sunset, she felt an arm wrap around her, pulling her closer to the redhead. For a moment, a content smile appeared on Twilight's, showing that she was enjoying the feeling of her friend -and crush's- embrace around her.

As her eyes began to close slowly, she whispered, "Thank you…"

Sunset Shimmer smiled at the sight of her sleeping friend, enjoying the moment. She had never slept so well since her first sleepover at Pinkie Pie's house. As she felt her own eyes close, she rested her head near Twilight's, a peacefulness washing over her.

"You're welcome, Sparky…"

*** *** *** ***

"No, no, no!" shouted Springtrap. 

He was hiding beneath the gym's window, in a bush, concealing himself. He got a good view of the fight that went down, including when then four animatronics lost to the girls. He didn't know what was worse to watch, Freddy misstepping and falling after stupidly tripping over a basketball. Or the two idiots that stood still holding a bag of sugar that exploded on them. Either way, they didn't do what he wanted. And that had fucked up his original plan. 

"Those children are fucking useless, just useless." hissed Springtrap, his hands balling into fists. 

Getting up from the bush, he walked away from the window. He wasn't going to stick around and watch the aftermath of his failed plan. The girls could do what they will with the kids for now. Maybe they could even be useful to him getting his revenge on the kids, and getting rid of them once and for all. But that would have to wait to be seen. Still furious, he kicked a rock. It bounced off a tree and hit him in the face. 

"Ow, mother-" He took a deep breath. "Okay, so no more kicking random shit. Got it." 

He made his way back to the abandoned electrical building. Luckily, it wasn't too far of a walk. Though, the more movement he made, the better his joints seemed to be. So maybe it was a good thing. Walking in, he stood by one of the old desks, leaning on it. 

_ "I can't fucking believe the shit I just saw. I thought four animatronic kids could beat seven puny school girls," _ thought Springtrap.  _ "Guess that was wrong…" _

Walking over to the control panel, he slammed his fists against it. The metal groaned and creaked under the impact. Lifting his fists from the metal, he saw the ident caused by his hit. The edges of the top panels moved upward as the middle was bent and warped, like wrinkled paper. Standing back, he felt his foot hit something. He spun around to see his prisoner was still there. Starting at the Marionette, he saw it lift its head. 

"Well, well ...look who has decided to wake up." Springtrap approached the Marionette, kneeling in front of it. "Hmm, that is interesting." 

The Marionette tilted its head at Springtrap. This animatronic was not one it had ever seen before. It seemed to be old and broken, not like the ones it had become accustomed to seeing. It looked nothing like toy Bonnie or any of the toy animatronics for that matter. So, who was this weird animatronic that it didn't recognize? It didn't know, but it hoped to find out soon. 

"Who...are...you…?" asked the Marionette. 

The Marionette's voice was staticky, like a broken radio or television. But it was also very robotic, sounding like it was trying to speak for the first time. The sound of it was very annoying on its own. Yet, as is if karma wanted to have some fun, the concrete building amplified it an even more annoying frequency. 

"God, you sound so annoying. Maybe I should put you back to sleep," said Springtrap, covering his ears as he heard the sound. 

That made the Marionette tilt its head, confused by what Springtrap said. 

"What...do...you...mean?" asked the Marionette. 

"What I mean," Springtrap gripped the Marionette's throat, lifting it off the ground, "is that your voice is annoying. And I don't think you should speak." 

"What...do...you...mean?" asked the Marionette, repeating its earlier question. 

"Great, you're broken," said Springtrap, dropping the Marionette. 

Tired of its voice, he kicked its head into the wall. The collision caused the concrete to crack, sending bits and pieces down on it. Surprisingly though, the impact didn't make it shut down. Instead, it lifted its head and tried to stand again. But Springtrap wasn't having any of it. After having a brief, very irritating conversation with it, he wanted his silence back. Using his fist, he looked back into the wall. He repeatedly punched the animatronic until sparks started to fly out from its mask. 

"This time, stay...the...fuck...down." Springtrap stopped punching the Marionette and walked back to the control panel. "Or I do something with your circuits that you won't like." 

_ "Well, plan A didn't work," _ thought Springtrap.  _ "I hope plan B works. Or this will get to plan F, and then it will stand for 'Fuck Me.'" _

*** *** *** ***

Freddy banged on the gym doors. But the metal doors held their own against his impacts. Surprisingly, the gym ropes also held firm, not giving way to his attempts either. Growing in frustration, he gave up. His efforts to batter the doors down were not working, even with his improved power. He stomped his way back to bleachers, making the floor crack and splinter under each step. 

"Goddamn, those blasted girls! I knew they were working for the night guard," whispered Freddy, looking at the floor as he sat down. 

While Freddy pondered on how they could escape, Foxy was getting ready to charge at the two doors. He wondered if combined with his speed, could his strength break down one of the doors. At the moment, it was just a theory. One that he hoped would work. Just as he knelt into the runner's position, Chica walked up. 

"What the hell are you up to, Foxy? Doing more laps again?" asked Chica. 

Foxy rolled his robotic eyes at her dumb question. They made a clicking noise as they moved around. His annoyance at the questioning was clear. Sure, his friend had asked many stupid questions before; it was her thing after all. But this had to be the dumbest one she'd ever asked. 

_ "Dumbass chicken! That rainbow-haired girl was right – you're just a KFC wannabe." _ thought Foxy, thinking to himself. 

Signing, he decided to finally answer Chica's question, despite the already clear answer being in front of her. 

"No, you dumbass. I am going to see if I can break one of the doors with both my speed and strength," replied Foxy. 

"But didn't Freddy already try that?" asked Chica, tilting her head. 

"Ugh, yes! But I am still going to try, Chica." groaned Foxy, growing infuriated by the questions.

Without waiting for Chica to ask another question, he ran towards the doors. The slipperiness of the gym floor gave him less traction, allowing him to gain more speed. He held out his hook, lowering his head as well. Preparing for impact, he pulled his other arm to his side, going for a shoulder impact. He felt his head hit one of the doors, followed by the metal creaking as it bent. 

Bonnie and Chica walked over to their friend, a mischievous look in their eyes. 

"What?" asked Foxy, confused by their presence next to him. 

As he stood up, he felt a tug on his one arm. Looking down, to his utter surprise, he saw that his hook had become embedded inside the metal of one of the doors. He yanked on his hook, attempting to free from its metal entrapment. But it was unsuccessful, making both Bonnie and Chica burst out in laughter, which echoed loudly in the gym. Turning, he glared at them, clearly angered by their laughing at his ridiculous situation. 

"This is not funny, you two imbeciles! Help me get my hook unstuck," shouted Foxy, still trying to free his hook. 

Freddy, tired of hearing the others argue, stood up and freed Foxy's hook from the door himself. That caused the red fox to fall back, not ready for the release of his metal hook. That only elicited more laughs from Chica and Bonnie. That time, both Foxy and Freddy glared at them. They stopped after that. Looking at the dent Foxy's collision made, a thought popped into his mechanical head. 

_ "Hmm, the one door barely stood against Foxy's blow. Maybe…" _

Turning to the others, he said, "Gang, get over here!" 

All the others walked over to where Freddy was, circling him and the doors. 

"We need to break down the doors. If Foxy's speed and strength combined could dent it, it shouldn't be able to stand against all of us," said Freddy. 

As Freddy glanced at Bonnie, he caught a glimpse of something in the darkest corner of the gym. From what he could manage to see, it seemed to be a...golden version of himself. That was odd, especially as he had never seen that before. Why was it there? Was it there? He blinked, wanting to know if it would still be visible when he opened his eyes. But as he blinked, the golden version of him had disappeared. 

Shaking his head, he thought to himself,  _ "Must've been a hallucination…" _

Turning his attention back to his friends, Freddy instructed Bonnie and Chica to lean against the door. As they leaned against it, the metal doors groaned, shifting slightly underneath them. Meanwhile, Freddy and Foxy gave themselves a running head start. At the same time, they ran, slamming their bodies on top of Bonnie and Chica's. Now with all their combined weight resting on the doors, it started to give way. The ropes which kept the doors closed begun to break apart as well, finally breaking with a loud  _ snap _ . Seconds later, all the animatronics were on the ground, laying atop the doors. 

"Get. Off. Me!" shouted Foxy, groaning under the weight of Bonnie. 

Bonnie got off of Foxy, not wanting to be on him. Now able to stand on his own, he helped him up as well. Once Foxy was on his own feet, he glanced at Freddy, wondering what he had planned next. They hadn't caught the night guard. They were leaning towards seven girls that had managed to trap them in the gym. Thankfully, that part didn't succeed. Yet, that still meant the night guard got away. So, what exactly would be their next move? 

Freddy, who was busy pacing back and forth, hadn't noticed that Bonnie was watching him. He was trying to figure out where the night guard could've gone. Something about them made him feel that they knew where the person who attempted to dismantle them was. But he wasn't sure, leaving him with the only option to track down the night guard. Making his choice, he turned to his friends. 

"Gang, we're going to split up," announced Freddy. 

"Wait a minute, what?" Foxy approached Freddy, raising his hook. "What do you mean  _ split up _ ? Freddy, we have  _ no _ idea where we are or where the night guard could have gone." 

Freddy looked at Foxy, raising one of his eyebrows. "And...you have a better plan, do you?" 

That caught Foxy off guard, making him stumble over his own words. "Well, I-I uh...no, I don't," replied Foxy, looking down. 

"Well then, we'll split up as I said. Chica, I want you to head west," said Freddy, pointing past the soccer field. He then turned to Bonnie, saying, "And you'll head east." 

With their instructions, and their eyes glowing red, Bonnie and Chica headed in their respective directions. As Bonnie made his way further into the woods surrounding the school, he had a gut feeling that told him to look back. When he did, he spotted something, a  _ golden _ something, hiding partially behind a tree. But as soon as Bonnie blinked, it disappeared. Deciding it was nothing but a trick of the mind, he continued. 

Meanwhile, Freddy turned to Foxy. "I need you to head north while I head south, okay?" 

"Okay," said Foxy. 

With that, Freddy and Foxy walked in opposite directions of each other, heading away from one another. Freddy had managed to find some footprints left by the officer as he ran away. But they stopped after a few feet once they reached the leafy forest floor of the Everfree Forest. That was less than ideal. Yet, it was all he had to go on at the moment.  Freddy sighed.  _ "Well, it looks like the damn idiot ran into the forest. I seriously hope that he hasn't landed himself dead or climbed into a tree. That would be hell," _ thought Freddy as he stepped foot onto the forest floor, his eyes glowing a bright red. 


	4. Night 4: What Does the Fox Say: Part 1

Sunset Shimmer pulled up to see her friends already waiting for her by the school entrance. Parking her bike, she ran up to them. Around her was constant chatter about something. But the words were so jumbled and spoken above the others that it was impossible to make out what exactly had gotten said. Just as she stood next to her friends, their gym teacher, Rapid Shadow, walked towards them. 

"My ropes! They've gotten obliterated!" exclaimed Rapid Shadow, throwing her hands up. "And they were brand new too…" 

The girls all looked at each other, realizing what their gym teacher was talking about and what it meant for them. 

"You don't think…?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she watched Rapid Shadow disappear behind a corner. 

"Um, I am pretty sure that did happen," said Twilight Sparkle. "And that we should check it out." 

With that, all the girls ran over to what should've been the gym doors tied together. Instead, there were torn pieces of rope lying on the ground. The doors themselves had been picked up and set against the wall of the building. There were dents all over them, clear evidence that the animatronics had busted their way through the doors. The force was so strong that the hinges that held the doors to the frame had snapped in half. Approaching the doorway, they looked inside the gym. The damage that had gotten caused there was pretty extensive as well. Parts of the wooden floor were scratched, though there whole sections that were just gone, completely caved in. 

"Sweet Celestia! They've escaped," said Sunset, shocked by the damage done by the animatronics.

"Well, the ropes sure didn't last long," said Rarity, picking up what remained of one of the ropes. "Guess that was to be expected." 

"D-do you think they are still nearby?" asked Fluttershy, hiding behind her hair as she felt goosebumps form all over her arms. "I-I don't want to have to fight them again…" 

"Um, Shy? I don't think they are," said Rainbow Dash, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "If they were, I think we'd know." 

"She's right," added Applejack. "But now they're free, how are we going to find them? It's a big city, and they could be hiding anywhere." 

"I don't know, AJ," said Sunset, sighing. "At the moment, I am just glad they injured no one." 

"I just wish we had gotten here sooner, as we had planned," whispered Twilight to herself. 

"Why am I not surprised you seven are here?" asked a voice from behind them, startling them half to death. 

Sunset Shimmer and the girls turned around to see the school's principal, Principal Celestia, approaching them. She had her hands on her hips, a stern expression on her face. Sunset gulped. She recognized that look from anywhere. That was the same expression both Celestia and Luna had worn the night of the Fall Formal. It was after the talk about the punishment that Sunset ended getting assigned to repair the damage she had made to the front of the school. It was also the same expression Sunset Shimmer had received from Luna when she handed her the brick trowel that night. Gulping, she forced herself to speak. 

"H-hi, Principal Celestia." Sunset's voice came weaker than she expected. 

"Sunset Shimmer, after the events of the Friendship Games and the debacle at Camp Everfree, I have a feeling equestrian magic has something to do with...this." Principal Celestia pointed to the dented doors. "Is that correct?" 

"Yes, Principal Celestia," replied Sunset, her shoulders slumping forward.

She heard the anger beneath the calm and collected facade that their principal put on. And she didn't blame her. It was her idea to trap the animatronics in the gym, hoping that they would stay there. As a result, the gym had some severe damage done to it because of her actions. Yet, just to see that it hurt. Since the Fall Formal, she had worked hard to prove that she had changed, that she was trustworthy. It hadn't been easy, especially during the Battle of the Bands. But she had done it, and she was keen on keeping it. Though, with the animatronics destroying the school because of her, that put that hard-earned trust in jeopardy. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Principal Celestia walk up to her. Not until she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Looking, she saw that Celestia was gazing at her with a more gentle expression.

"I understand that you have no control over what magic does in our world." Celestial met Sunset's worried gaze. "But, I still need you to fix up the damage caused by whatever the magic did this time." 

Sunset Shimmer nodded, grabbing her arm as she watched Celestia. Looking back at her friends, she sighed. It was going to be a long day. Especially since she had to fix the damage her choice caused. She gripped her bag strap, walking with her friends. As she walked up to the school entrance, she passed some people who were carrying two new doors. As she walked past, she heard Principal Celestia call them over to the gym. 

"Good thing Principal Celestia is always prepared," said Applejack, looking at the gym area. "Animatronics breaking down doors is an everyday occurrence." 

Sunset Shimmer was silent. She didn't feel like saying much, not with her guilt weighing heavily on her. Plus, she was busy thinking about where four big animatronics could have disappeared to. It was one thing when they damaged school property, but they were also dangerous. Just the four presented a hard challenge to beat them. It took everything she and her friends had to be able to knock them out. If they were running around town, that would be putting everyone in danger, especially if any of the animatronics decided to go after someone and ended up killing them. 

_ "They are running loose because of me…" _ thought Sunset, gripping her arm even tighter.  _ "I have to find them." _

"But where could they have gone? They don't know their way around town," mumbled Sunset to herself. 

Applejack glanced over at Rainbow Dash. Both of them had overheard what Sunset had said. Looking back at their redhead friend, they could see she wasn't her usual self. After the talk with Principal Celestia, her behavior changed. She became more silent as if what happened with the gym made her feel like she was responsible. She was much quieter than usual. It seemed she was thinking about something, most likely the animatronics. Yet, Rainbow Dash and Applejack knew that Sunset had a habit of blaming herself for everything that went wrong when equestrian magic was involved. 

"Sugarcube, you have been awfully quiet. Is everythin' alright?" asked Applejack. 

Sunset Shimmer stopped walking after hearing the cowgirl's question. She could hear the worry in her voice, which only made her feel worse. She hadn't intended to worry her friends. Taking a few deep breaths, calming her thoughts, she turned to face her friends. Her hand still gripped her jacket tightly. 

"No, AJ, I am not okay. There is at least five dangerous animatronics on the loose. And it's my fault...again…" replied Sunset, throwing her hands up. 

"What do you mean  _ again _ ?" asked Rarity, giving Sunset a look of concern. 

"Magic came into this world when I brought an element of harmony into it. Since then, I haven't figured out how to control it. Now It's brought dangerous robotic nuisances here, to our world!" shouted Sunset, growing angry at her carelessness and lack of knowledge of how to control the equestrian magic she brought. 

Immediately after that happened, she regretted it. The surprised and hurt looks of her friends made her regret it even more. They had just been trying to help her, and she ended up snapping at them. Not that she meant to. She knew that her anger got the better of her sometimes. And when it did, it always seemed to result in her hurting her friends, even when she didn't mean to. 

"I'm sorry, girls. I just-" 

"No need to apologize, Sunset. We understand that you feel responsible for causing this," said Twilight, interrupting Sunset. "But, this is not your fault." 

"Yeah, totally. It's not like any of us can control the magic either," added Rainbow Dash, giving Sunset a small smile. 

"Just like with what happened with Juniper Montage and the mirror. And with...me." Twilight gave the redhead's shoulder a light squeeze. "Yes, you brought magic to our world. But it's not your fault that it is unpredictable." 

Sunset Shimmer met Twilight's gaze. There was a familiar twinkle in them, one that she knew very well. It was comforting to see it and to feel Twilight's gentle touch on her shoulder. Though it rested just above the one scar, she didn't want to move away. Right now, at this particular moment, she just wanted to stay with her. 

Giving the girls a weak smile, she said, "Than you, girls. I am happy to have you as my friends." She turned to Twilight, continuing. "Especially you, Sparky." 

Under Sunset's gaze, Twilight Sparkle felt her cheeks heat up, almost becoming a bright red color for a second. Looking away, she was embarrassed that she had blushed in front of her friends and crush. Pulling her hand from the redhead's shoulder, she felt a hand grab hers. Just then, a few snickers broke the silence that had settled between them. All eyes turned to their polychromatic haired friend with raised eyebrows. 

As Rainbow Dash saw all the girls looking at her, she stopped. She glanced at Sunset to discover that she had a  _ very _ annoyed look. Gulping, she realized she had done it again. 

"Hehe, I couldn't resist. It's just so obvio-" Rainbow Dash was interrupted by a firm punch to her forearm. Glancing, she saw that Applejack had landed the first one, and was readying for another. Rubbing her sore arm, she mumbled a quick, "Sorry, Sunset." 

Just as Sunset Shimmer walked up to Rainbow Dash and was about to do something, the first-period bell rang. Gripping the strap of her messenger bag, she stepped back from her friend. Now was not the time to reprimand Rainbow Dash for laughing. Now was the time to get to class before the last bell rang. 

"Come on, girls. Let's get to first period _ before _ we are late," said Sunset as she and the girls started making their way to their class, which they all had together. 

The girls all made their way to their class just as the late bell rang. Sunset Shimmer sat near Twilight, as always. The rest of the girls either sat behind them or in the desks around them. Applejack chose to sit next to Rarity, always wanting to be close to her. It was clear to everyone but the two that they liked each other. The same could be applied to Sunset and Twilight as well. They did everything together, science experiments, numerous trips to the library, even studying for tests. Anything and everything, they did it together. As Rainbow Dash took her seat next to Fluttershy, she heard the teacher walk into the classroom, a stack of papers in her one arm. 

"Morning class, here is today's assignment…" said Mrs. Cheerilee as she set the papers down on her desk, turning to write something on the blackboard behind her. 

*** *** *** ***

After a few hours and classes that seemed to drag on, the long-awaited lunch bell rang. Sunset, who had just finished her chemistry homework, scrambled to gather all her stuff. She shoved her notebook and pencil back into her messenger bag, closing the flap once she had finished. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the teacher's desk, homework in hand. 

"Here you go, Mrs. Harshwhinny," said Sunset, handing her homework to the teacher. 

Taking the finished homework, Mrs. Harshwhinny replied, "Thank you, Miss Shimmer." 

With that, she left the classroom, heading for the cafeteria. When she got there, she found it was already crowded and noisy. She could smell what was for lunch, which was spaghetti and meatballs, Granny Smith's favorite special. The line for lunch was long, stretching out the door of the cafeteria. She darted past the students, making her way through the crowds. Finally, after dodging a few trays, she managed to make it through. Looking around, she tried to spot where her friends were. Amongst the crowds of people, she saw a familiar pink-haired girl waving at her. 

"Over here, Sunset!" shouted Pinkie Pie, waving her hand around ecstatically. 

Sunset Shimmer smiled, walking over to join them. She set her bag down, sitting next to Twilight. That was always her usual spot, had been since the Friendship Games when Twilight had transferred to CHS. Facing her friend, Sunset spoke. 

"Hey Twi, did you finish tonight's homework yet?" Sunset asked, giving her an I-have-good-news- smile. 

Twilight Sparkle finished eating, swallowing her last piece of pizza. "Yep, as always. I am now starting to work on next week's homework as well." Twilight said, smirking a little. 

Both Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash's jaws dropped, shocked by what they heard. Sure, they knew Twilight was always prepared. That was her thing. She could always come prepared for anything, which still surprised her friends. Aside from her vast knowledge of well...everything. But this...this was not at all what they were expecting. Yet, Sunset was trying to keep her calm and regain her composure. 

"That's awesome. I just handed in my chemistry homework, so I am now officially homework-free tonight," said Sunset, trying to impress her friend a little. 

Twilight, being aware of what the redhead was doing, gave her a wink, saying, "Well, then I guess we can continue that gaming session where I was about to beat you then." 

"Oh? You thought you were winning, huh?" Sunset leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "We'll just see about that." 

Just then, a group of kids walked past their table. Amongst the group, was Trixie. As she saw Sunset Shimmer, she rolled her eyes.

"Maybe Sunset grabbed the crown again and decided to trash the gym. Maybe...she  _ hasn't _ changed as much as she says she has." Trixie's tone was almost mocking Sunset. "Maybe, she is still...Demon Shimmer." 

Involuntarily, Sunset's hand balled into a fist. Hearing the magician mention the Fall Formal and what the school dubbed her she-demon form in front of Twilight Sparkle was not okay. It was aggravating to her to hear someone who had trapped them in a cellar during the Battle of the Bands all so she could win, claiming she hadn't changed. Not to mention all the insults Trixie had thrown at her and her friends. Yet, she knew that the girl's words held no weight. She  _ had _ changed, learned from her mistakes. That didn't stop a few people, like Trixie and her friends, from thinking otherwise. Deciding that she wasn't going to let her get away with it, she stood up from the table. 

"Trixie." Sunset walked up to her, with Twilight following behind. "What exactly do you mean by that?" 

Trixie scoffed. "I mean, you haven't changed. That maybe you're still the same Sunset Shimmer that became-" 

"If you say that one more time, I swear to Celestia that my fist will go right up your-" 

Sunset Shimmer stopped as she felt a hand on her back. It rested right on her scars, making her skin form goosebumps. She watched as Trixie gave a weirded out look and walked away. Taking a deep – yet shaky – breath, she turned around. Looking, she saw that it was Twilight Sparkle who had rested her hand on her back. That made her panic even more. The person she was keeping the secret from was now touching the scars from her transformation, unbeknownst to her. 

"Sunset? Are you alright?" asked Twilight, pressing her hand into Sunset's shoulder as she gripped it. "It's just Trixie being well, Trixie." 

Sunset Shimmer gritted her teeth, clenching her jaw in an attempt to not yell at Twilight. It was becoming harder to do that with her friend's grip resting on her scar. Swallowing, she pulled her shoulder free, walking away from her. Trixie's mention of Demon Shimmer, combined with Twilight's accidental brush against her scar, was the last push. Right now, she couldn't be near her friend. Not until she could gather herself again. She grabbed her messenger bag and started to walk away from her friends. Behind her, she could hear her friend running after her. Just as she was about to exit the cafeteria, she felt a hand grab her wrist. 

"Sunset, where are you going?" asked Twilight, confused by what was happening. 

"Twilight. Let go of my wrist now," said Sunset through gritted teeth, struggling to keep her voice calm. 

Twilight Sparkle obliged, reluctantly letting go of Sunset's wrist. Just as she did that, she saw her friend ran off, sprinting down the hall. As she watched the familiar red and gold hair of her friend disappear around a corner, she sighed. Standing there, in the doorway of the cafeteria, she felt confused...and hurt. This was the first time Sunset Shimmer had ever acted this way. Which just made her wonder why she acted out on today of all days. But the one thing that made it worse was it seemed that she only acted out as she had touched her back. 

_ "Di-did I do something wrong…?" _ thought Twilight as she hung her head, walking back into the cafeteria. 

The redhead kept running, ignoring all the students she was rushing past. Once, she had to dodge Vice Principal Luna to avoid her seeing her running in the halls. Running down a hallway, she found the doors leading outside to the soccer field. She pushed them open as she ran straight for the bleachers. Thankfully for her, the school's soccer team was not practicing today. The bleachers were her particular spot when she needed alone time and when she wanted to cry but not be seen or heard. She had discovered this place back during the Battle of the Bands. It was her escape from the students who still hated her back then. And from the Dazzlings as well. She was grateful they didn't stick around afterward. To deal with them now would've been hell, especially Adagio. Setting her bag down, she sat in the shadows. The coolness felt pleasant to her hot skin, which had become coated in sweat from her running. 

Sunset Shimmer wrapped her arms around herself, not caring that she was hot. On her back, she could still feel Twilight's touch. Her gentle, almost nonexistent touch against the one thing she despised of herself. Even though her leather jacket had consisted of relatively thick material, the contact felt as though it was right on her scars. The feeling made the redhead shudder, pulling her arms tighter around herself. What happened in the cafeteria was something she wished hadn't happened. 

_ "Why Twilight...why did you have to touch me there…?" _ thought Sunset, pulling her knees to her chest as she rested her head on them. 

"She didn't mean to do that. You do know that right, Sunset?" asked her inner voice, making its presence known. 

_ "Yes, I do," _ replied Sunset. 

"Then, you would also know that you running away, without any explanation, also hurt Twilight, right?" continued her inner voice. 

_ "Yes…" _ Sunset knew where this was going.  _ "Before you say I should go apologize and explain what happened to her, just shut the fuck up." _

Nothing. There was not a single response from Sunset's conscience. Taking that as I sign that it had left, she sighed. No one knew about her scars, not even the girls. She deliberately kept it from them, ashamed that she had any marks from her transformation. The hardest thing was keeping it from Twilight, especially when she knew that Twilight would most likely understand how she felt—considering that when she had found out about her scars, she realized that her friend had kept them hidden for the same reason. Knowing that it only made her actions weigh even more heavily on her. The scars on her back were a reminder of what happened at the Fall Formal that she became a  _ monster _ . No, not a monster, a she-demon. That is what she became. A raging she-demon that almost murdered her friends for power. 

_ "Maybe Trixie was right. Maybe I  _ haven't  _ changed…" _ thought Sunset, wiping a stray tear off her cheek. 

A few moments later, she heard a soft voice calling her name. 

"Sunset?" asked the voice, just barely louder than a whisper. 

Sunset, on a hunch, peeked her head out from under the bleachers. Not surprising, she saw that it was Fluttershy that was calling her name. She knew that soft voice anywhere; after all, the animal lover was the quietest of the girls. For a moment, she didn't want to say anything. But there was a voice in the back of her mind, saying that it was wrong for her to know two secrets from her friends. Deciding that it was right, she motioned for Fluttershy. 

"Over here, Shy." hissed Sunset, keeping herself hidden from everyone else. 

Fluttershy looked in the direction of where the voice came. She spotted Sunset sitting underneath the bleachers, her back pressed against the seats as she hid the shadows. She knew that spot well. It was her safety spot whenever Sunset Shimmer or her accomplices were trying to find her for their daily verbal beating of her. Sometimes that would escalate to physical if Sunset walked away, giving Snips and Snails full control of what happened. Stepping closer, she bent down. 

"Oh, I am so glad I found you, Sunset," said Fluttershy as she walked under the bleachers. "Me and the girls, especially Twilight, were so worried when you ran off." 

Sunset Shimmer stared at her lap, unsure of what to say. Though she didn't mind the animal lover's company, she also wasn't in the mood to talk. At all. The growing pit in her stomach made her grow queasy. Twilight Sparkle had touched something extremely...sensitive. Something that she couldn't accept touching most times. She couldn't bear to feel the physical reminders that were left. And she didn't expect anyone else to be able to as well. Not that she could blame them for it. Her friend's gentle touch was a complete contrast to the very monster she became. Even though Twilight Sparkle had been through a very similar experience as well, it wasn't her fault or choice. Her device went out of control with all the equestrian magic it had absorbed. And she didn't even want to open it, but because of Principal Cinch, she did. Yet, when she became Demon Shimmer, it was purely her choice. She could've slammed the crown down and walked away from it. But she chose to have power, and that resulted in her transformation. The vulnerability of admitting it was her choice made Sunset panic. Being vulnerable was not her strong suit and had never been, ever. 

"How did you find this spot, Fluttershy?" asked Sunset, looking up from her lap at her friend. 

Fluttershy looked away, hiding behind her hair. That was a nervous habit of hers. One that Sunset noticed she often did.

"I found this spot when I wanted to hide...from…" Fluttershy couldn't finish the sentence, knowing that Sunset would be hurt by what she was going to say. 

Sunset Shimmer didn't need to hear the rest to figure out what her friend was going to say. Even now, as she sat in front of her friend, she could recall the days she picked on her. At the time, Fluttershy was the most straightforward target. With just a few insults and jabs, she could make her cry. And the redhead took pleasure in having that kind of power over someone, especially someone as weak as the animal lover. Closing her eyes, she tried to fight her way through the pang of guilt that washed over her. 

"I'm so-" 

"Sunset, when we became friends, I forgave you for your past mistakes," said Fluttershy, resting a hand on Sunset's knee. "No need to keep apologizing." 

An appreciative smile slowly lifted the corners of Sunset's mouth, meeting her eyes. "Thank you, Shy." 

"You're welcome, Sunset." Fluttershy adjusted her position. "If I can ask, why did you run off earlier? Was it something Twilight did?"

There it was. The one question the redhead was desperately hoping to avoid. It wasn't that she didn't want to answer it. It was the fact the answer would mean revealing that she had scars, same as Twilight, to her friends. And she didn't want to tell them. Not at the risk of them hating her because she had them. Knowing that she had a piece of the...monster she had become permanently etched into her skin, it was enough of a reminder for her. She just wanted the girls to forget about the event as much as possible. To move on from it. Though, deep down, she still couldn't forgive herself, even with their forgiveness. 

"I-I...don't feel like talking about it right now, okay, Shy?" replied Sunset, standing up from her sitting position, knowing the bell was going to ring soon. 

Just as Sunset Shimmer had predicted, the bell rang. She grabbed her bag, walking out from the bleachers, and followed Fluttershy. As they walked back into the building, she and Sunset ran into the rest of the girls. 

"Hey, Sunset, you okay?" asked Applejack. 

"Yeah, I'm better." Sunset avoided glancing at Twilight, who seemed to hide behind Rainbow Dash. "Well, see you girls later." 

With that, Sunset Shimmer ran off, going to her next class. 

*** *** *** ***

As the end of the day was approaching, the final bell rang. Sunset Shimmer was packing up from her last class when she saw Twilight Sparkle walk past her classroom. For a few seconds, their eyes locked, before Twilight looked down and continued walking. Once Sunset Shimmer gathered all her stuff, the redhead made her way to the gym. Twisting and dodging, she pushed her way through the crowd of students until she reached the door leading outside. As she walked over to the gym, she saw her friends, including Twilight, sitting on the benches outside. 

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Sunset. "This is my mess to clean up." 

"Nonsense, darling. You didn't fight the robots on your own," said Rarity, walking up to the redhead. "We are responsible for some of the damage." 

"Yeah, like the broken bats and ropes," added Fluttershy as she joined Rarity. 

"Yeah, but all this happened because of my-" 

"Sunset!" interjected Rainbow Dash. "If you say this all your fault one more time, I'm gonna have to kick your ass," she said, narrowing her eyes, giving the redhead a sly smile. 

Sunset Shimmer smiled shyly. She was very thankful for the girls' help and friendship. How she ended up with such amazing friends, she wasn't sure. But she was lucky that much she knew. 

"Besides," Twilight Sparkle started. "You'll finish quicker if we all chip in and help." 

Sunset Shimmer looked at her friend. She could see that one thing was still bothering her. Though she tried to hide it, Sunset could see the apprehensive look in her eyes. That made her feel worse for her actions. She hadn't intended to worry Twilight, but at the time, all she wanted to do was disappear. Which, in hindsight, now seemed like the worst idea. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was troubling her friend. Only one thing crossed her mind, and she knew she was right. 

_ "She probably is still wondering why I ran off after what happened with Trixie…" _

Before she had a chance to explain, Principal Celestia walked up to them. 

"Here is a list of what I want you to fix, Ms. Shimmer," said Celestia as she handed Sunset the list. "Some of the supplies are at the hardwood store. I have let them know you'll be by to pick up some supplies." 

"Thank you, Principal Celestia. I'll get right on it," replied Sunset, glancing at the list. 

Celestia nodded and walked back to her office, leaving the girls to fix the gym themselves. 

"The door, the cracked floorboards, and the ropes." Applejack read the list of tasks. "Well, we can get most of the stuff for the repairs at the store. But we better get goin' if we want to finish before nightfall." 

"Yeah, I agree," said Sunset, looking at her friend. "I could use your help and truck to help out with the supplies." 

"You got it, Sunset." said the cowgirl, resting an arm on the redhead's shoulder. 

"Anyone else want to come to help us?" asked Sunset, looking at the other girls, struggling to control her anxiety when looking at Twilight. Secretly, she hoped that her friend would join her. 

"I'll come," said Rarity, walking over to Applejack, close enough to grab her hand. 

Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Twilight, with raised eyebrows and a small please-come-with-me smile. She saw her friend shift nervously as if she wasn't of what to do. Seconds passed, then Twilight Sparkle grabbed the broom that was leaning against the wall. Sunset's eyes fell, disappointed that her friend would rather avoid her than be near her. 

"I would rather stay here…" Twilight said, keeping her voice low, knowing that her choice had hurt Sunset. 

Sunset's heartbeat thundered in her ears, and not in a good way. More like when someone is panicking, and they are watching someone make a choice that is going to cost them their lives. She could feel the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead as she tried to keep herself calm. Her stomach rebelled against her as she realized Twilight didn't want to be near her anymore. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't be upset at her friend for her choice. With her running off after she had tried to help her, her avoidance was easily understandable. That still didn't change how much it hurt to see it. 

"Okay, well...see you girls in a bit then," Sunset said in a weak voice, walking toward her bike with Applejack and Rarity right behind her. 

Peering behind her shoulder, she saw Twilight Sparkle had started sweeping the bits of rope still lying around. She noted that when she looked back, her friend looked away, avoiding her gaze. That saddened her to see her friend act that way. However, she felt that she deserved that for running off with no explanation to her friends. But, again, it was an understandable reaction. With a deep exhale, she turned back, her eyes down. 

The cowgirl squeezed her shoulder lightly. "It's okay, sugarcube. You can make things right when we get back." 

*** *** *** ***

A little while after the girls had left, Twilight Sparkle had stopped sweeping, having finished getting all the bits of rope. Thankfully there wasn't much to clean up. For breaking down two doors, there wasn't much of a mess. But that was outside the gym. Inside, there were bits of broken wood everywhere, dust from the bricks that had shifted as well as where the ceiling tiles had moved. She sat down on one of the benches outside the gym entrance, the broom standing next to her. 

"What's wrong, Twilight?" inquired Fluttershy, seeing the odd change in her friend's behavior. 

Twilight blinked and looked at Fluttershy. "It's nothing, really. Just worried about the animatronics." 

"Oh come on, Twi!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, not believing Twilight's excuse. "We all know it's about Sunset." She sat on the bench next to her friend. "We all saw what happened at lunch." 

Twilight Sparkle remained silent. It was embarrassing to see that her pain was evident to her friends. She hid her growing embarrassment as she stared at her lap. 

"Why...did she react that way? Was it something I did?" asked Twilight with controlled desperation in her voice. 

"I don't think that it was anything you did," said Fluttershy. "I think it was just Trixie." 

"Then why did she run off after  _ I _ had touched her? Isn't she usually okay with people touching her?" asked Twilight, recalling all the times she and Sunset had hugged.

Many times, she had touched her, and nothing happened. But maybe that was the thing. Twilight never touched Sunset Shimmer's shoulder; this was the first time that had occurred. Whenever they would hug, she would typically wrap her arms around her lower back. So, maybe there was something about her shoulders that Sunset didn't want her to touch. She was hiding something. But what was it exactly? Of that, Twilight wasn't sure, but she would find that out one way or another.

"Ooh, I am sure Sunset wouldn't mind you _touching_ her," said Rainbow Dash with amusement in her voice. 

Fluttershy glared at Rainbow Dash, clearly not amused by the comment. Turning her attention to Twilight, she said, "You didn't do anything wrong." 

"Yeah, she is just sometimes sensitive to people touching her," added Pinkie Pie. "You're not the only one she has acted weird around after touching her shoulders." 

"Oh…" Twilight fiddled with her skirt, growing more nervous with the conversation. "I didn't know that." 

"Yeah, she was a different person before you came here. She made some seriously big mistakes," said Rainbow Dash, leaning against the school wall. "But she's changed. And that meant the person she used to be is now her greatest shame. Not that I blame her, she was pretty awful." 

"Still, that doesn't give her any right to act that way with her friends," responded Twilight, annoyance in her voice. "With me…" 

"No, it doesn't." Fluttershy chimed in, sitting on the bench next to Twilight Sparkle. "You're right. She should not have acted the way she did. But, she might have had a good reason to." 

Twilight's arm tensed as she heard Fluttershy say that Sunset Shimmer might've good a reason for pushing her aside. How was that so? Just because she had made some mistakes in the past didn't excuse her behavior. Sunset herself said that to her when she tried to hide her scars from her. She glanced at the animal lover, furrowing her eyebrows. 

"I found her after she had disappeared. She seemed shocked, almost panicked. It was like she had PTSD or something. She couldn't bring herself to tell me what was going on. Must've been a horrible memory that got triggered." The animal lover added, seeing the confusion in her friend's expression. 

"Wow, now I feel even worse," said Twilight, sighing. "But that's the thing. I never know what's going on in her head. I want to help her. But how can I when she keeps me on the outside?" 

"Maybe you can just be there when she does let you in?" asked Pinkie Pie. 

"I'm her friend. Yet, I feel like she is never going to see me that way and let me in the way she has with you girls." Twilight Sparkle stared at her hands, continuing. "She's my best friend. And not knowing how to help her, to be there for her, is killing me." By now, her voice was barely louder than a whisper. 

"Look," intervened Rainbow Dash. "Sunset's always acting tough. It's kind of her thing, with the whole biker image she has going. She's used to being on her own, not relying on anyone. So, for her, it's hard to open up and trust someone." 

Pushing off the wall, she sat next to Twilight Sparkle and continued. "The girl has a heart of gold, but she's convinced that it's not that way, which makes her skittish around the people closest to her because she's frightened to lose them. And you, Twilight, are the closest, the most important thing to her." 

"I am?" asked Twilight, not sure she believed what Rainbow Dash was saying. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" shouted Rainbow Dash. "I've never seen her so crazy about someone, not even when she dated Flash Sentry. Though, that was for a different reason… Anyway, she is so Twisexual for you." 

"Rainbow Dash!" chastised Fluttershy. "That is not okay." 

"What? It is true, and you know that Shy." retorted Rainbow Dash. 

Fluttershy was now as pink as Pinkie Pie's hair. While Twilight was wide-eyed at what she had just heard, could Sunset really be...Twisexual for her? Just saying the word in her mind felt weird. But one thing that had her the most confused was the fact that she was the most important person in her friend's life. If that was so, why did she run off earlier? Why did she decide to push her away rather than let her in? 

"What happened to her in the past?" asked Twilight. "What made her change so much?"

"That...is for her to tell you," said Pinkie Pie as she helped Rainbow Dash move the broken bench. "Not us." 

Twilight was about to object when Fluttershy spoke. 

"It's something she has dealt with for a while but is still dealing with. It has left some...emotional scars that make it hard for her to talk about it. Just give her time, she'll come around." said Fluttershy. 

With that, Fluttershy continued to clean up the broken bits of brick that laid scattered everywhere. That left Twilight to her thoughts. Getting off the bench, she grabbed the broom and helped Fluttershy clean up the rest of the brick pieces and dust. 

*** *** *** ***

At the store, Rarity was looking at wood planks with Sunset Shimmer. She was standing in front of some rosewood panels. They seemed rather lovely but would be out of place with the oak panels that made the whole of the gym floor. Besides, they couldn't get it, and it was out of their budget. Sighing, she moved onto the next best thing: improved oak wood panels. They were much more beautiful than the ones already at the gym, yet they didn't look all that much different. That was a decent choice. Glancing over at the redhead, she noticed that she was unusually quiet and depressed. Deciding to see what was up, not that she couldn't figure it out herself, she made her way over to her. 

"Sunset, are you okay?" asked Rarity, resting her arm against one of the shelves. "You seem...distant." 

"I'm fine, Rare," replied Sunset, not making any eye contact with her friend. 

"Right. Because if you were fine, you wouldn't be making any eye contact with me and would be staring..." Rarity looked at the shelf Sunset was staring at, "at some screws and screwdrivers." 

Sunset Shimmer looked at Rarity, realizing that her friend had become sarcastic. She saw her friend had a raised eyebrow and a look that said: "Come on, I know you're hiding something." Knowing the fashionista wasn't going to give up easily, she sighed and decided to tell her the truth. 

"Okay, I am not fine," said Sunset. 

"Oh darling, I knew that," interjected Rarity. 

"It's Twili-" 

"Twilight, again, I knew it," said Rarity, giving the redhead a smirk. "I am aware of things like that. Especially when it comes to matters of the heart." 

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. "If that is so, you would've noticed the doe-eyed looks AJ gives you every time you're near her." 

Rarity scoffed, unaware that Applejack was staring wide-eyed at her and Sunset. She had just heard what her friends were talking about. The cowgirl was not one to blush, but this was one of the rare occasions that she did. Walking up, she had a bag of door hinges, new ropes, and some paint to paint the new doors with. 

"So, you want to fix things with Twilight then?" asked Rarity, wondering if her theory was correct. 

"Yes, Rare. I want to make sure she knows it's not her fault." Sunset Shimmer looked down, staring at the tiled floor of the store. 

"You're right. It's not Twilight's fault – it's yours." Rarity's tone was harsh, yet there was a softness to it. "But telling her why you ran off would be a good start." 

"I know. But I can't let Twilight know it because of the Fall Formal. Not yet…" Sunset Shimmer replayed the thousands of ways Twilight Sparkle could've rejected her after she knew in her head. It was enough to make her head spin. 

"Well, you'll have to do it soon if you keep this up. How long do you expect this charade to last?" Rarity looked behind her to see Applejack. "Oh, hey, AJ." 

"I-I don't know," said Sunset. 

"Well, I have said my opinion on this. I don't much like all this lyin' to Twilight," added Applejack, smiling at Rarity. "I got all the other supplies. Did y'all pick out the board material?" 

Rarity nodded and pointed to the wood she had chosen earlier, leaving Sunset alone. "I chose this one."

"Good choice, Rare," said Applejack, stepping closer to the fashionista. "I will go tell the worker we need about ten or so planks of that." 

With those words, the cowgirl left. Rarity returned her gaze to Sunset, finding her still staring at the screws and screwdrivers. Sighing, she walked back over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. 

"It'll be easier to tell her the truth rather than all lies," said Rarity, knowing that her words would hurt Sunset. "But you do what you think is best." 

As Sunset Shimmer watched her friend leave, she knew what she said was true. That the sooner she admitted the truth, the better it would be. Yet, she couldn't...because she was...afraid. 

_ "I want to tell you, Sparky. I do…" _

*** *** *** *** 

Fluttershy had wheeled a wheelbarrow full of brick dust, broken wood, and trash to the trash can outside, by the wooded area surrounding the school. Dumping the contents into the bin, she wiped her forehead. It had become covered in a layer of sweat, probably from her helping Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie lift the broken boards from the gym floor. But aside from that, the day was terrific. The sun was out, and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. She watched as the birds flew overhead, landing in the nearby trees. As she glanced at the other side of the street, she realized she had forgotten something. 

"Oh my, the animals!" Fluttershy gasped. She had forgotten about them. "The poor things. They must be so hungry by now." 

Leaving the wheelbarrow behind, she ran a few steps. Just as she was about to cross the road, she halted and turned back for a moment. "What about the girls?" 

_ "They'll be fine. Sunset and the others should be back soon." _ thought Fluttershy, making her choice. 

Running across the street, she continued down the other side. "I'll make it quick. They won't notice I am gone." 

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, Sunset Shimmer pulled up with Applejack trailing behind her. As she pulled into her spot, she took off her helmet. She could see that Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the bench, unaware that her ponytail had become loose. Sunset always thought she looked better with her hair down rather than in a ponytail. 

"They're back!" she heard Pinkie Pie shout as she and Applejack approached the girls. 

"We know, Pinkie," said Rainbow Dash, taking a few of the boards from the bed of the cowgirl's truck. 

Twilight Sparkle got up from the bench she was sitting on, making sure to avoid Sunset Shimmer as she made her way over to where the others were. Talking to the redhead right now was not something she wanted to do. Not yet, at least. She walked over to Applejack, taking the bag of supplies from her. Once she had a firm grip, she realized just how heavy it was. That made her admire the cowgirl's strength even more. Geode or no geode, she always had immense stamina. Stronger than the rest of the girls were. 

"How was the shopping trip?" asked Twilight.

"It was good. Had to keep Rarity from trying to buy bedazzling supplies and rosewood planks," replied Applejack as she grabbed the last of the replacement planks. "Kept reminding her that they wouldn't match." 

"They still would've improved the overall look of our school gym." insisted Rarity as she got out of Applejack's truck. 

"Well, the school doesn't have the budget to  _ look _ good, Rare," said Applejack. "At least not expensively good. Unlike CPA." 

"Okay, you do have a point there," said Rarity. "But still, we could have at least tried." 

Rolling her eyes, Applejack continued walking into the gym. As she walked past the door, she set the wood planks down where Rainbow Dash had set the others. Twilight Sparkle put the bag with them as well. Deciding to sit on the bleachers, she sat next to Sunset Shimmer. It wasn't her first choice, but the Applejack and Rarity, as well as Rainbow Dash, all made sure to give her no alternative. It was clear they all wanted her and Sunset to fix whatever happened between them. Feeling uncomfortable about sitting next to her friend, especially after what happened at lunch, she was about to get up. Just as she stood up, she felt a hand on her arm. 

"Hey, wait. Twi, can we talk?" Sunset's voice sounded meek, like Fluttershy's when she was nervous about being in front of a big crowd. 

"Yes." That was Twilight Sparkle could manage to get out. 

"I-I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you…" Sunset Shimmer looked down, taking a breath before continuing. "I was hurting because of something Trixie triggered. And in the process of escaping that, I hurt you." She looked back up, meeting Twilight's gaze, regret, and pain written all over her face. 

Seeing that, Twilight Sparkle calmed down and took Sunset's hand in her own. "It's okay. I understand that you have made some mistakes, and that is still a sensitive subject." Twilight said. "I just wish you'd let me in. Let me help you…" 

Sunset Shimmer lowered her voice once more, realizing that Twilight Sparkle had figured out she was hiding something from her. Not that she didn't expect that to happen after her strange behavior at lunch. She did. Yet, it was hard to hear that her friend now suspected something. But, it was knowing that she was right in her suspicions that killed Sunset. 

"I know," Sunset Shimmer answered, her voice growing quiet. I'm just...I don't…" It was harder now to come up with an excuse. "I am working on letting you in. You deserve the-" She stopped herself before she could finish the sentence. "I just hope that when I do, I don't lose you…" 

Twilight Sparkle gripped Sunset's hand tighter. "You won't ever lose me. Nothing in your past will scare me." 

Her pulse raced as she heard what Twilight said. It took everything she had to keep herself from spilling the whole truth right then and there. Listening to those words, Sunset Shimmer desperately wanted them to be true. She wanted to believe that if Twilight knew about her she-demon self, Demon Shimmer as her friends and the school dubbed it, it wouldn't scare her away. She hoped that it wasn't going to make her run away. If she lost Twilight because of it, she wasn't sure if she could continue living. Pushing the thought aside, she tried to remain focused on her friend. 

"I'll be ready to listen when you decide to let me in," finished Twilight. 

In the upper sears of the bleachers, Rarity and Rainbow Dash had proud smiles as they watched Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer. 

"We're good matchmakers, aren't we?" asked Rarity. 

"Ugh, I can't wait for those two to figure out they're not straight and get things going for Twisexuality," said Rainbow Dash. "Then I can work on you and Applejack." 

"Wh-what?!" shouted Rarity. 

Before she could say or do anything else, Rainbow Dash darted down the bleachers and disappeared in a flash of colors. She knew better than to stick around when the fashionista was pissed. Unfortunately, she didn't know that back when she had offered to hang out and watch the weekly fashion show with her. When Rarity's favorite contestant lost, she ended up seeing her friend break her TV in half, just by staring at it. Since then, she stayed away from her whenever she got pissed. 

Watching the scene unfold in front of them, plus Applejack's growing embarrassment and flushed cheeks, made them chuckle. They both knew that their friends had feelings for each other, yet neither knew it. What Twilight and Sunset, at least on the surface, didn't seem to know was that they too were in a similar position. But right now, that was not their biggest concern at the moment. That would be fixing the gym floor so they could all go home. 

"You know, when I said I had tonight free, I didn't plan on doing this," said Sunset as she got up from the bleachers. 

"Well, if it makes it any better, we can still see who is going to win that game," Twilight said, elbowing Sunset playfully. "We both know it'll be me." 

"Ha, you say that now. Just wait. I will win." Sunset chased after Twilight as she made her way to the pile of wood. 

"Heh, we'll see, Miss Shimmer," replied Twilight playfully. 

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, and the girls had managed to fix the doors, paint them, and fix the floor afterward. By now, each girl had become covered in sweat. So much so, that each of their shirts clung to their bodies, like wetsuits. Even their hair was dripping with sweat. It was like all of them had just finished a 20-mile marathon, not finished fixing a gym. Sunset walked out of the building, craving the cool breeze that was blowing past. Sitting on the bench, her whole body ached, screaming at her for overexerting herself, especially her lungs, which burned with each breath she took. As she looked around at her friends, who had gathered outside as well, she noticed that one of them was missing. 

"Girls, where is Fluttershy?" asked Sunset Shimmer, sitting straight up. 

"Last I recall, she was taking some stuff out to a dumpster," said Twilight, wiping some sweat off her forehead. 

What is it with me and losing my friends in this damn gym?" muttered Sunset under her breath. 

"Let's check there and make sure she is okay," suggested Rarity. 

"Agreed," said Sunset. 

Getting up, all the girls made their way to the dumpster where the wheelbarrow was still. It was a clear indication that Fluttershy had been there at one point. But the more important point was that she wasn't there anymore. It looked like she had left a while ago. The only sign she had been there was the wheelbarrow. 

"Where the hell is Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow Dash. 

"Maybe she remembered that she forgot to feed all the baby animals at the shelter and left without telling us. Then on her way back, she saw something suspicious and is going to call us," stated Pinkie Pie in her usual matter-of-fact manner. 

"How did…" started Rainbow Dash.

"It was just a hunch, Dashy," said Pinkie Pie. "I  _ could _ be wrong." 

"Pinkie admitting that she is wrong? Now I have seen everything," said Sunset. "But you're probably right with the first part. She is most likely at the shelter."

"Then, let's check there," said Twilight. 

*** *** *** ***

Locking the door behind her, Fluttershy left the animal shelter. 

"There we go, all fed," said Fluttershy, glad that she finally remembered her responsibility. "Now, to get back to the gym before the girls start to worry." 

After walking for a few minutes, a pair of squirrels came desperately running up to her. She could tell by their nervous chittering that they were worried. Kneeling, she spoke to them in a calm voice. 

"What's wrong little ones?" asked Fluttershy. 

"We found something that you may wanna see, Fluttershy." replied one of the squirrels. "Come with us." 

"Okay," said Fluttershy, getting up from her kneeling position. 

She followed the squirrels down a trail in the woods. In her mind, she thought maybe a baby creature was injured or trapped. But as she watched the squirrels lead her down the trail, she was met with a gruesome scene. On the ground, was a boy who was maybe five years old laying on his back. She covered her mouth as she saw the deep cut running the length of his abdomen. It was wide enough that some of his intestines had spilled free and were hanging off to the side of his body. He was sitting in a pool of his blood, which also coated his shirt, staining it red in the process. 

"Oh…" was all that Fluttershy could mutter.

Fluttershy had to look away as she felt her gag reflex kick in. As she vomited on the ground, she felt herself grow lightheaded. She wasn't able to handle gore. Real or not. Often she would opt out of horror movie nights with Sunset and Rainbow Dash because of it. Gathering what strength she had left, she stood back up. Just as she did, she saw her two squirrel friends ran off. Despite her self preservation instincts, she followed them. 

In the dirt, were bloodied footprints that were not human. Following them along with the two squirrels, Fluttershy soon reached the edge of the wooded area. As she came out of the clearing, she saw the 8ft fox that she had fought the night before. It was making its way to the playground. Another kid, maybe a year or two older than the kid that was dead, was sneaking behind the fox. Just as he turned his back to hide behind the slide, he heard a whirring noise indicating that the animatronic was turning around. But as he listened to the heavy footsteps of the animatronic move closer to him, he froze. He turned around, seeing that the fox was right behind him, towering over his small stature. 

"You're not the guard…" said Foxy in his usual robotic pirate voice. 

Panicked screams made Foxy turn around. Unfortunately for the kid next to him, that made his hook slam right into his back, digging deep into his spinal cord. Hearing a grunt, Foxy turned back, only to find a kid attached to his hook. He saw that blood was dripping down his hook and arm, dripping onto the ground below. There was also blood coming from the kid's mouth as his eyes glazed over. Seconds later, the kid said something. 

"Wh-why…" The kid coughed, spurting blood all over himself and Foxy. "Why me…" 

"Nooo!" screamed Fluttershy louder than she had ever before. 

Quickly pulling out her phone, Fluttershy dialed her friends' numbers. She left them all one panicked voice mail as she stared at the fox, now with a dead kid hanging limp from his arm. 

"G-g-girls, get over her quickly. I'm at C-canterlot P-park," said Fluttershy, unable to hide the terror in her voice. "Now!"

The rest of the children scattered off in all directions, wanting to get away from the murderous robotic fox, and Fluttershy didn't blame them. But she did find it curious that the fox appeared to be dazed, almost unsure of where it was. That was odd. 

  
Foxy only had one thing on his mind as he tried to free his hook from the kid's spinal cord.  _ "Freddy is going to take me apart for this personally…" _


	5. Night 5: What Does the Fox Say: Part Two

The lifeless body of the older boy fell to the ground, Foxy's hook coming free with a  _ pop _ . His eyes were glazed and dull as if his soul had left his body. Fluttershy had to cover her mouth to avoid throwing up again. But that was unsuccessful. Turning around, she uncovered her mouth and began vomiting for a second time. As she finished, she leaned against a tree, now completely pale and sweaty. One could say she looked like she had caught the flu. If she got any paler, she wouldn't have any skin tone. Leaning against the tree, she started to feel better. So long as she kept her back to the gruesome scene behind her. The sound of approaching footsteps made her glance up to see her friends running towards her. 

"Fluttershy!" screamed all the girls as they saw their friend leaning against a tree. 

"Are you alright?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she ran up to her. "We saw the dead body back there…" 

Fluttershy coughed, her throat raw from her vomiting. "Th-there's another one up ahead." 

Sunset, taking Fluttershy's word, walked out of the forested area. That left the rest of the girls to help Fluttershy battle her sickness. Coming out of the clearing, she saw the sight of Foxy standing by a dead boy. Looking down, she noticed that his skin was becoming more ashen by the minute. Her eyes widened with shock. Sure, there had been dead kids in the games, but this was a whole other thing. Now there were two kids dead in the real world, two murders that took place. She took a few steps closer to the animatronic, her anger building with every beat of her heart. 

"Wh-what have you done?!" shouted Sunset, yelling at the top of her lungs. 

Foxy stared at the redhead, who was yelling at him. He was confused as to what she was doing there. Looking down, he realized that he had killed a kid. After that, he connected the pieces and realized the redheaded girl was after him. Not wanting to be caught, he turned away, bolting for the other side of the woods. His metal feet left impressions as he ran, a literal trail leading right to him. As he disappeared into the shade of the trees, he heard the girl behind him groan. 

Sunset Shimmer wanted to chase after Foxy, but her obligation to her friends trumped her desire. Turning back, she ran back to where her friends were now helping Fluttershy to stand. 

"Is she okay?" asked Sunset, noticing that Fluttershy had gotten some of her skin tone back. 

"Yeah, just a little dehydrated. But Fluttershy will be fine," replied Applejack. "Where's the animatronic that just ran off?" 

"In the woods surrounding the park," Sunset said in a monotone. "He didn't want to be seen with the dead kid." 

Fluttershy covered her mouth as soon as Sunset mentioned the kid. Luckily, she managed to fight her gag reflex this time. 

"Sorry, Shy." Sunset hadn't meant to trigger another vomiting episode. 

Fluttershy looked at Sunset. "It's okay. But we should probably go after him before someone else gets killed." 

That made all the girls look at Fluttershy with worried expressions. Seeing that, the animal lover tried to reassure her friends. After all, she didn't want them to worry about her. Not when there was a bigger problem at hand. 

"I'm okay now. We need to make sure no one else is injured." Fluttershy covered her mouth as she let out a small cough. 

"But-" started Applejack. 

"I'm fine, really," insisted Fluttershy, her voice sounding strict, like a person's of high authority would. 

Fluttershy stopped leaning on Applejack and walked towards Sunset. "Come on. I can help you find that fox." 

Sunset Shimmer was about to object when she saw that her friend was ready to give her...the stare. The stare was something Fluttershy rarely gave any animal, let alone her friends. It was something that she used as a last resort. And this was one of those times. The redhead went quiet, realizing that the argument would've been useless. Instead, she allowed the animal lover to go first, following the trail left by Foxy. She walked beside Twilight Sparkle, happy that they were able to reconcile with what had gone on during lunch. As she grabbed Twilight's hand, she heard her thoughts for a moment. 

_ "What is Sunset hiding? I know it's something…"  _

_ "Why is she keeping it from me? Is she...afraid of me?" _

_ "I wish she would trust me. Why help me through my pain, but not let me do the same…"  _

Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand away. It was too much to hear her friend's thoughts, especially when Twilight was already figuring out that she was hiding something. Though, the event at lunch probably gave that away. Combined with what Trixie said, Sunset would be lucky if Twilight didn't just connect the two and figure it out before nightfall. She was at least hoping to tell her before that happens. Yet, Sunset wasn't too sure if that was going to be possible if she kept on acting the way she did in the cafeteria. Just then, Sunset felt Rainbow Dash speed past, messing her hair up along the way. 

Rainbow Dash, being the fastest of the girls, was the furthest ahead in following in Foxy's tracks. She could still hear her friends following the same tracks behind her, which was good. Getting lost in the woods would be a bad idea, particularly so close to nighttime. Glancing back, she saw Applejack and Fluttershy still trailing just a few feet behind her. Unfortunately, as she turned to look forward, there happened to be a tree right in front of her. With her not paying attention to where she was going, she had veered off the path and now was heading straight for the tree. She attempted to stop but running at her speed, that was impossible. Seconds later, she felt her body impact into the trunk of the tree, falling to the ground soon after. 

"Ow…" Rainbow Dash sat up, her head pounding now. "That...fucking hurts…" 

"Dashy! Are you alright?" asked Fluttershy, pushing past the others to get to her friend. 

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Ugh…I will be when I stop seeing three of you standing over me," replied Rainbow Dash, still trying to blink away the multiple Fluttershys around her. 

Meanwhile, Foxy kept running, trying to keep the distance between him and the girls. Behind him, he could still hear some of the girls following him. Ahead of him was a dead-end, meaning that he was now stuck. He looked around, trying to find a temporary hiding spot. He couldn't risk being caught by the girls. He spotted a shrub hiding in some shadows, perfect for concealing himself. Darting over to it, he made himself scarce. Thankfully, the ground beneath him was as soft, so the trail stopped before it pointed to the bush. Kneeling, he closed his one eye, thankful the other had an eye patch. 

Sunset, Applejack, and Twilight stopped running after Foxy, leaving behind the four other girls in favor of keeping him in their sights. Though, he was now gone. They had noticed there was a lack of mechanical footsteps. Looking down, they also saw the trail of tracks ended right where they were standing. Plus, there was a dead-end in front of them, which ruled out the animatronic being very far from them. 

"Sunset, where's Foxy?" asked Twilight, turning to face the redhead. "He can't have just disappeared, can he?" 

"I don't know. Maybe?" replied Sunset, looking behind her. "He is an animatronic fox. Maybe he is just as sneaky as one." 

A chill ran up Twilight Sparkle's spine. A giant, red, murderous animatronic fox had somehow disappeared. And her friend didn't know where it was either. That alone made her fear grow even more. How was that possible? It couldn't be. There was no logical explanation for it to disappear. It had to be hiding nearby. But that left the question of where. Something made her turn her attention to the bushes that were around them. She walked over to one of the hedges, turning on her phone's flashlight. As she shone the flashlight beam onto the shrub, she saw something red and reflective. That made her back away, realizing her hunch was right. 

"Sunset, Applejack? I think I found Foxy…" muttered Twilight as she pointed to the bush that her phone's light was still on. 

Hearing that, Foxy opened his one eye. The flashlight Twilight had almost blinded him with was still shining directly in his face. Standing up from the bush, he ran out. In his haste to get away, he shoved Twilight Sparkle right into the shrub, not caring that he could've hurt her. He ran around the redhead, avoiding her grasp as he dodged her. Continuing to run, he discovered that only the cowgirl was chasing him, making it easier for him to lose her. 

Sunset Shimmer ran over to help Twilight Sparkle out of the bush. Just as she got close to her friend, she heard the others join her. She held out a hand for Twilight to take, wanting to help her help. At the same time, she wasn't too keen on holding her hand after what happened earlier. Hearing what her friend was thinking about made her want to keep her distance. Just until everything calmed down, but right now was not the moment to do that. 

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset's hand, meeting her cyan eyes. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to touch her hand. After what transpired the last time, it made her want to avoid any contact, especially around the shoulder area. Reluctantly, she made her choice and grabbed Sunset's hand. She hoped that as long as she avoided touching Sunset's shoulders, she could prevent another outburst. 

"Th-thanks," said Twilight as Sunset Shimmer pulled a bush bramble from her hair. 

"You're, uh welcome, Sparky," replied Sunset, nervously rubbing her neck. 

"Enough flirting, you two! Applejack needs us," shouted Rainbow Dash, before speeding off. 

Applejack had chased Foxy to another dead end, which had a giant boulder pile from a long-ago rock slide. She had him cornered. Or at least she thought she did. Yet, she didn't account for the animatronic to be as agile as it was. She watched in complete surprise as the animatronic fox started climbing the boulder pile. As the fox climbed over a large boulder, it triggered a series of smaller rocks to fall on the cowgirl below. When the fox was about halfway up the border pile, Applejack tossed her hat to the ground, frustrated. 

"Enough of the damned senseless chasin'!" shouted Applejack as she started to make her way up the boulder pile behind Foxy. 

Carefully, Applejack managed to climb over several of the rocks. Working on a farm helped her be able to have considerable arm strength, which was very helpful in this situation. As she got within 10 feet of the fox, she quickened her pace. She grabbed a rock a few inches above her head. Unfortunately, it was loose. Trying to pull herself up with it, she pulled it out, causing her foot to slip from underneath her. She let herself fall from the rock pile, heading towards the ground. 

Just as the cowgirl had started to fall, Rarity and the rest of the girls ran up to her. Not hesitating, Rarity made one of her crystal shields, catching Applejack seconds before she hit the ground. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as the fashionista walked up to her friend, worry darkening her blue eyes. 

"Goodness AJ! What were you thinking?! You could've been-" 

"I am fine, Rare." Applejack interrupted Rarity, knowing where the conversation would lead. "Honest. I was chasin' that damn fox." 

Rarity handed the cowgirl her hat back. "Still, be careful. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost you." Her eyes showed her concern, revealing that she cared for Applejack as more than a friend. 

Applejack smiled, resting a hand on Rarity's cheek. "I'll be okay, thanks to you, Rare." 

Rarity rested her hand over Applejack's. "You're welcome." 

Applejack let her hand slide from Rarity's cheek, allowing it to make its way down her neck to shoulder and finally going towards her hand. When she was close, she slowly intertwined her fingers with the fashionista's, so it was not to startle her. To her enjoyment, she felt her friend eagerly intertwine her fingers as well. With their hands intertwined together, Rarity and Applejack walked over to the rest of the girls. That prompted Sunset to look around at the girls, realizing that a certain pink-haired, chipper friend was now missing...again. 

"Damn it! Where'd Pinkie go this time?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she scanned the area around them. 

They got their answer in a series of loud bangs. Turning their attention to the top of the boulder pile, they saw Foxy running back towards them. His red plastic exterior had gotten covered in a familiar white powder. Upon closer inspection, Sunset Shimmer realized it was sugar. Foxy got closer to the edge and wasn't stopping. He was getting ready to jump off the top of the boulder pile. All the girls scattered, not wanting to be injured. Just then, a cupcake hit a tree next to the fox. The bark had gotten speckled with bits of frosting and batter. The area of impact had become burnt, peeling off some of the bark from the tree trunk. There was another cupcake thrown towards Foxy. But he ducked, causing it to sail over him and land on the ground below. Upon contact with the grass, there was a small explosion. That sent grass and dirt flying all around, hitting the girls in the process. 

"Pinkie?!" exclaimed all the girls at once. 

"Oh, hey girls!" said Pinkie Pie as she tossed another cupcake at the animatronic fox. 

This time, Pinkie Pie didn't miss her target. The cupcake landed squarely on Foxy's back. She smiled in glee as she knew what was going to happen next. 

"Oh...n-" shouted Foxy as the explosion got set off, sending him tumbling down the boulders. 

He continued downwards until he was about 10 feet away from the girls. He pushed himself off the ground, thankful that his hook didn't slip from underneath him. Once he was fully back on his feet, he darted away from the girls. Unfortunately for him and his escape plan, they had all decided to chase him. As he came to a corner, he made his choice. That choice, unfortunately, was a bad one. The path he chose led to a rickety wooden bridge. 

"Up ahead!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she sped towards him. 

Without hesitation, Foxy decided to cross the bridge. But being old and neglected, it was not able to sustain Foxy's weight being on it. With every step that he took, the wood boards beneath him creaked and groaned before just snapping in half. He managed to make it almost all the way when he heard the sound of the rope snapping. Looking up, he saw that the binding holding one side of the bridge was breaking apart. A few seconds later, he felt himself falling as the cord holding the bridge gave way to his weight. 

Twilight, seeing the animatronic fox falling, acted quickly. Pushing past all her friends, she used her geode powers. Once there was a glowing purple aura around Foxy, she started to lift him. As she continued to lift him, she brought him closer to her and the girls. The closer she brought him, the more her hands and arms started to shake. Raising a 10-ton animatronic was a lot harder than she had expected. Just as she was about to get him to the other side, her strength faltered, causing the magic aura around Foxy to dissipate for a second. 

"Twilight…" Sunset looked at her friend, seeing the beads of sweat that were forming on her forehead. "Are you okay? You're starting to sweat." 

Twilight Sparkle's body was starting to shake from the exertion visibly. She was struggling to maintain her hold on Foxy. The animatronic's constant movement wasn't making it any easier for her. Luckily, Twilight managed to hold out, letting him hover above the ground for a few seconds. Seconds later, her magic and strength gave out, and he hit the ground with a loud  _ clang _ . 

"Twilight!" shouted all the girls as they saw their friend start to sway before she collapsed. A blur of red and yellow pushed through the girls, catching Twilight Sparkle before her head hit the ground. 

Sunset Shimmer rested Twilight's head against her lap, hoping that she was alright. Looking at the girls, she said, "Go, take care of Foxy. I've got her." 

Amidst the confusion, Foxy saw an opportunity and took off. His heavy feet pounded the earth as he ran away from the girls. That was his downfall. His heavy footsteps made him a noisy fugitive, catching the attention of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. 

"Dash, go get the ropes from the gym!" shouted Applejack as she ran after Foxy. 

"But what about your lasso, AJ?" asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to the cowgirl's boots. "Don't you always keep it with you?"

Applejack sighed. "I forgot to bring it. Now, go get the ropes!" 

Rainbow Dash nodded. In a flash of rainbow colors, she disappeared. With her super speed, it took her less than a minute to arrive back at the gym. When she got there, she saw that the Wondercolt soccer team was practicing, without her. She ducked behind a tree, avoiding Spitfire's gaze as she ran past the rainbow-haired athlete. 

"Oh man, I forgot that soccer practice was today," muttered Rainbow Dash as she made her way towards the gym. 

Ignoring the team, she ran into the gym, running over to the storage area. She flung the doors open to see the ropes laying right in front of her. Grabbing them, she ran back out, past the soccer team. She figured she could catch the next practice. Using her speed again, she flashed back over to where the girls were. As she saw the clearing they were in, she slowed down, not wanting to run into another tree. She set the ropes down, taking note that between talking with Rarity, Sunset Shimmer was constantly glancing between Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the girls. Her arms were wrapped protectively around Twilight's upper body as well. 

"So, if we set the trap, we should be able to catch him, assuming his weight doesn't just break the ropes," said Sunset, answering Rarity's earlier question. 

"Ah, okay. So, why the tripwire trap? Why not another type of trap?" asked Rarity. 

"Because-" 

"Sunset, Rarity. What are you two up to?" asked Rainbow Dash, approaching her two friends. 

Sunset Shimmer jumped at the sound of the athlete's voice. Something that didn't go unnoticed by the fashionista. The redhead felt a hand rest on her knee, prompting her to look away from Twilight. When she did, she saw that Rarity's eyes were boring down at her. 

"Relax, Sunset. It was just Rainbow Dash." Rarity turned towards Rainbow Dash and continued. "Sunset and I were just discussing what kind of trap we should set up for our runaway fox." 

"Ah. And what's with Sunset's death grip on Twilight then?" asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to Sunset's arm, which had instinctively wrapped itself tighter around Twilight's body.

"None of your concern, Dash." Sunset Shimmer didn't bother trying to hide her annoyance at her friend's snooping. "So, fuck off…" 

Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity, seeing her shock at Sunset's behavior. This behavior was unusual for the redhead. Though, the girls knew she was prone to her having times when her temper got the better of her. And unluckily for Rainbow Dash, she stumbled into one of those times. Knowing it was best not to agitate her friend, she backed away. 

"Hehe, sorry I asked…" was all she said as before speeding over to where Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were trying to make the trap. 

Rarity turned her attention to Sunset Shimmer. "You know, you didn't have to be so harsh to her. She was just asking a question." 

"I know," said Sunset, taking a deep breath. "I just get protective of…" 

"I know, dear. Just watch who you snap at." Rarity got up, dusting off her skirt. "I am going to help the others make the trap while you make sure Twilight is okay." 

"Okay." Sunset looked back down at Twilight Sparkle, hoping that Rarity was right. 

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Applejack had chased Foxy into a winding part of the forest. With the trails twisting and turning every few feet, the cowgirl had to stay vigilante on her feet. Several times she almost dropped because the path bent to the right instead of left. But when she passed a sign for Camp Everfree, she stopped. 

"What in tarnation? How the hell did we get this far from town?" mumbled Applejack, confused. 

Foxy, who had hidden behind some trees, saw the cowgirl standing still with her back turned to him. Seizing the opportunity, he ran past her, shoving her to the ground. He darted back the way they came, confused by the familiar surroundings. As he was running, he noticed that his movements were slowing down. Looking down, he discovered that his joints were seizing up a bit as the reddish rust between them was getting rubbed away. Deciding to keep the distance between himself and Applejack, he continued running. He ran past the girls, not seeing the tripwire that was in front of him. As he approached it, his foot got caught, which sent him tumbling to the ground. Seconds later, a makeshift net wrapped itself around him, keeping him from being able to get back up to his feet. 

"Yes! It worked!" shouted Rainbow Dash, punching the air. "We finally caught you, you no-good, murdering fox." 

Sunset Shimmer chuckled at what Rainbow Dash said, but there was also a pang of regret. Yes, they had caught the crazy fox. But at the cost of two children's lives. That was what weighed heavily on the redhead's consciousness. Two children were dead, something that the local police weren't likely to overlook. Which only added to her worries. Though, they weren't exactly inclined to think a robotic fox from an indie horror game killed the kids either. As she sat there, her hand caressing Twilight's arm, she got lost in her thoughts. 

"Sunset…" Twilight's weak voice brought Sunset back from her thoughts. 

"Hey, Sparky." Sunset kept her voice low, giving her friend a half-hearted smile, still caressing her arm. 

Twilight Sparkle shifted position, allowing her to see Sunset Shimmer right side up rather than upside down. There were goosebumps up and down her arms from Sunset's touch. Not wanting her friend to let go, she grabbed her hand, squeezing it. Even with her fainting spell, she was awake and aware enough to see that something was upsetting her friend. 

"Sunset, what's wrong?" Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses, keeping them from falling off. "You seem-" 

"Distant? Furious? Lost…?" asked Sunset, cutting off her friend. "Because I am Twi. Foxy...killed two children. Two...kids, Twilight." 

Twilight Sparkle gave the redhead a sympathetic smile that reached her eyes. She knew what was going through her friend's head. She knew that deep down, Sunset blamed herself for what happened. Even if it was out of her control and wasn't her fault, that was typical for her. In the time she had known Sunset Shimmer, she had realized that whenever equestrian magic went haywire, her friend was always the first to blame herself. 

"Sunset, we'll do everything we can to prevent it from happening again." She touched Sunset's shoulder, thankful that she didn't pull away. "From what it appears, Foxy didn't mean to kill the kids." 

After that, Twilight Sparkle wasn't entirely sure of what to say. What Sunset Shimmer had said earlier was true. She couldn't deny that or sugar coat it, and there was no way to. There was no way to bring the kids back. That was something not even equestrian magic could accomplish. Though she wished it was. Looking down, she squeezed Sunset's shoulder for a moment. For a split second, she could've sworn she felt something...bumpy beneath her friend's shirt. 

_ "But that can't be… Sunset hasn't been through a transformation like I have…" _ thought Twilight, her eyebrows furrowing in the process. 

Thinking she just felt nothing, she let her hand fall from Sunset's shoulder, slowly making its way down her arm. It was odd that she felt something familiar to her scars on Sunset Shimmer. But even weirder was the fact that the redhead would keep it from her. Assuming it was true anyway. But, that was another mystery for another day. Standing up, she walked away from Sunset, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She had done all she could for her, and there wasn't much else she could do. And after what happened during lunch, she was hesitant to do more. 

Just then, Applejack returned. She walked into the clearing where the rest of the girls were, seeing that Foxy was tied up. Sighing, she saw that she was about to be greeted by a certain purple-haired fashionista. She braced herself for what was to come. 

"Applejack!" Rarity shouted as she ran towards her friend. Without even waiting for a response, she gave her a quick hug, which resulted in the cowgirl groaning for a second before she met her eyes. "I was worried sick about you. What on earth took you so long?" 

Applejack blushed and pulled her hat down, hiding the sheepish grin that was spreading across her face. She always felt flustered when she felt Rarity's touch against her skin. It was like electricity running through her veins every time — a feeling she loved. And by the looks of it, a feeling that her crush also liked. Then again, maybe the growing redness in Rarity's cheeks could've been from all the running they had done in the last hour. Taking a deep breath, the cowgirl managed to regain her composure and placed her hat back on her head. 

"I was chasin' that damned fox all the way to Camp Everfree," replied Applejack, giving the red fox an annoyed glare. 

Rarity looked directly into Applejack's green eyes. "Are you okay?" 

"Yes, Rare, I am fine." Applejack could tell that her friend was worried and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I am a tough cowgirl, after all." 

That made Rarity laugh, despite her attempt to keep a serious face. "Alright, if you say so. But promise me you'll take it easy." 

"I will," said Applejack, giving Rarity her distinctive stop-worrying-so-much smile. 

Seeing her friend join the others underneath a tree, the cowgirl approached Foxy. Her mind was reeling over the chase. Something seemed off about it. The animatronic didn't act normal. Instead of attacking them, it hid from them. Like it was aware of why it was getting chased. Even stranger was how it chose to avoid them like it was aware of what they were doing. Remembering what Twilight Sparkle had said a few days ago, that didn't make sense for an animatronic. If the animatronic was scared or panicked on the other hand, then it's erratic behavior would make sense. Deciding to test a theory, she turned to Sunset. 

"Hey Sunset, do you think your powers would work on this here robot?" asked Applejack. 

Hearing her friend call her name, Sunset looked up. As she met the cowgirl's green eyes, she could've sworn she saw a flash of concern in them. But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. She shook her head, thinking she had just imagined it. 

"I-I don't know, AJ. I haven't tried to use my powers on anything that wasn't...human," replied Sunset as her gaze drifted to the fox. "Why do you ask?" 

"I don't know…" Applejack knelt next to the fox, resting her hand on the cold, smooth metal. "I just have a feeling this here robot isn't just a robot. I think there is something more to it, something...alive." 

"Alive? What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Sunset, getting up from the ground. 

"Like there is more than just a robot here. Like maybe there is a...spirit attached to it," answered Applejack. 

The cowgirl knew she was starting to sound like a crazy person with the whole possession thing. Though, compared to what they had been through, that was relatively normal. Plus, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was right about that. There was a human likeness to the animatronic's eyes that she had noticed. 

Applejack's theory appealed to Sunset. "You may have something there, AJ. In the game, supposedly five kids were killed and stuffed into these animatronics." 

"Oh, that is awful," said Fluttershy, covering her mouth again. 

"Yeah. Sorry for mentioning that. I know you're still recovering." added Sunset Shimmer when she realized that Fluttershy was struggling not to vomit again. 

"So, do you think there is a kid's soul trapped inside there?" asked Applejack, looking up at Sunset as she approached her.

"Maybe. It's worth a chance, especially if we can get some answers for what they are all running around town," said Sunset, slowly approaching Foxy. 

Soon as she was within five feet of the fox, she heard a creaking noise. Looking down, she saw that Foxy had managed to slice through the ropes, freeing his hook. Stepping back, she closed her eyes as she prepared herself to feel his hook in her. To feel it slicing her open, making blood pour down from wherever her injury was going to be. To have blood staining her clothes. Surprisingly though, that didn't happen. She opened her eyes to see Foxy's hook was getting held in an aura of purple magic. Turning around, she found that it was Twilight who was holding off the fox. Not that she expected it to be anyone else. 

_ "Thanks, Sparky." _ thought Sunset, flashing Twilight a quick smile, which she accompanied with a wink. 

Twilight Sparkle hid her face from Sunset Shimmer, not wanting her blushing cheeks to show. Thankfully, the shadows and the setting sun provided enough darkness that it didn't. She continued to hold Foxy's hook as the redhead made her way to the other side, where she was safer. In the back of her mind, something nagged at her, reminding her that Sunset Shimmer still wasn't being completely honest. But she shoved it aside, knowing that right now was not the time to be thinking about that. She cleared her head and focused on keeping Foxy from injuring her friend. 

Stepping next to Foxy, Sunset Shimmer rested her hand against the back of his body. "Okay, let's see if there is a kid trapped inside." 

Taking a deep breath, she let the memories come to her. Her eyes flashed white as she started to see images. Images of what appeared to be a party. Not just any party either. A birthday party. 

*** *** *** ***

_ A boy, who looked to be about 7 or 8, was running around some tables in what appeared to be a pizzeria. Along with him, there were two other boys and a girl running around. From the looks of it, it seemed they were enjoying a game of tag. Just as one of the boys ran around the one corner of a nearby table, they tripped and fell.  _

_ "Ow," groaned the boy as he rubbed his knee.  _

_ The other boy who was getting chased came back for his friend. "Are you okay?"  _

_ The boy who tripped looked up and gave his friend a devilish grin before saying, "Yeah, and you're it now!"  _

_ After that, he got up and started to run away as the boy who was tagged sighed. He rolled his eyes before giving in and chasing his friend. The game continued in this way, with each kid getting a chance to be it. Eventually, the game ended when Freddy brought out a birthday cake. The cake was themed to match the restaurant. It had all the main animatronic characters on it with the words 'Happy Birthday' written in yellow icing. All the kids sat down at one table with the lucky birthday boy.  _

_ "Happy Birthday, Jeremy!" said Freddy in his usual cheerful robotic voice. _

_ Freddy set the cake down on the table, with the candles having already gotten placed on the cake. Once the cake was on the table, Freddy became surrounded by Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy. They all stood around Jeremy, preparing to sing the birthday song. They started to sing as Jeremy's mother began to light each candle.  _

_ "...Happy Birthday to you!" finished Chica.  _

_ Once the song finally finished, Jeremy leaned in to blow out his candles. But he felt a hook touch his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Foxy looking back down at him.  _

_ "Don't forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy," said Foxy, his pirate accent clear.  _

_ Jeremy nodded, making his wish.  _ "I wish my family and I can come back for my ninth birthday."

_ In one breath, Jeremy managed to blow out his candles. Unaware of the presence of someone who was wearing a used Golden Freddy suit that was watching him. Once his candles were blown out, the cake-cutting started. He was the first to receive his piece, followed by his friends. With the cake cut and served, everyone started to eat. An hour later, Jeremy was the first to finish his piece of cake. After all, he wanted to catch Foxy's Annual Pirate Show. But he needed his mom's permission before he could go.  _

_ "Mom, can I please go..?" asked Jeremy, gazing up at his mom with pleading eyes.  _

_ Jeremy's mom sighed heavily. Looking at her son, she could see his excitement at getting to see his favorite characters perform. Deciding that because it was his birthday, she couldn't say no. She kissed him on the forehead, smiling.  _

_ "Okay, you can go see the show. But come back right after," said Jeremy's mother.  _

_ "Okay, mom. I will, thank you," replied Jeremy before he ran off towards the stage.  _

_ Just as he was about to approach the main stage, he turned around and motioned for his friend to come as he said, "Hey Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?"  _

_ Seeing his friend nod in response, Jeremy ran over to where his other friend was. The seat was right in front of where Foxy did his part of the show, Pirate's Cove. The rest of the gang did their roles on the main stage. Out of the four main characters, Foxy was Jeremy's favorite, mostly because he was a pirate with a cool accent.  _

_ "Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who's ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?" asked Foxy.  _

_ "We are!" shouted Jeremy, joining the chorus of kids that had yelled out.  _

_ Foxy lifted his hook and said, "Well, good. Welcome to Pirate's Cove Treasure Hunt!"  _

_ Foxy and his animatronic friends sang a few songs, most of which the kids sang along with. After that, they did their usual sketches, where they went to find buried treasure, which always got hidden in Foxy's Pirate Cove. And with every scene or song that ended, they were met with a course of claps. After about two hours, the show ended as always. Several kids, including Jeremy, wanted it to continue. But a worker with a red and blue Freddy Fazbear Pizzeria shirt came onto the stage a few minutes after the curtain call.  _

_ "I know you all want to find the treasure. But Captain Foxy and his mates need to check their maps to make sure that they find the treasure." said the worker, donning a pirate-like accent.  _

_ All the kids sighed, some even starting to cry as they heard the news. One by one, each kid went back to their parents, which then comforted their crying child. Jeremy fought his way out from the mass of children rushing to their parents to find his mom waiting for him. He ran up to her, hugging her.  _

_ "Come on, honey. We're going home now. Your daddy is coming home today as well," said Jeremy's mother as knelt in front of him.  _

_ Jeremy nodded, happy to hear that his father would be returning home. Yet, something had more of his attention right now. He looked around, realizing that his friends were nowhere in plain sight. That confused him. Where could they have gone? He tried to see if they were with their parents. But all he saw were their parents huddled together. It seemed that they were worried too.  _

_ "Mom, I am going to say goodbye to my friends," said Jeremy, walking away from his mom.  _

_ "Okay, but come back when you finish!" his mother called after him.  _

_ Taking a right turn, he started down a long corridor. The corridor led to where the girls' and boys' bathrooms were. Making his way further down the dark hallway, he felt goosebumps appear on his arms. He rubbed them, hoping to alleviate the goosebumps. As he got closer to the bathrooms, he thought someone was spying on him. Turning around, he expected Fritz to be standing behind him. But he didn't see anything but darkness. Shrugging off the feeling, he walked into the boys' bathroom.  _

_ "Fritz? Gabriel? Are you guys in here?" asked Jeremy as he checked the stalls one by one.  _

_ Once Jeremy's voice stopped echoing against the bathroom's wall, there was silence. It was clear that he was in the bathroom alone. Sighing, he decided that his search of the boys' bathroom was useless and walked out. As he walked out, he saw the girls' bathroom next door. A debate was beginning in his head. Part of him wanted to go into the girls' bathroom, to see if his friend Susie was in there. But another part reminded him that it was wrong to go into the girls' bathroom. Deciding that finding his friend was more important, he pushed the door open.  _

_ "Hello, Jeremy. Are you the lucky birthday boy?" asked someone who was in a Golden Freddy costume. _

_ Jeremy stopped opening the door to the bathroom, turning to see who spoke to him. He saw the figure approaching him, wearing the Golden Freddy costume. Furrowing his brow, he said, "Yeah, I am. Who are you?"  _

_ The guy laughed as he rested a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "I am a friend. And I see you are trying to find yours." _

_ "I am. Do you know where my friends are?" asked Jeremy, yanking his shoulder free of the figure's grasp.  _

_ The figure nodded. "Yeah, I do. Follow me, Jeremy." _

_ Jeremy did just that. He followed the guy down a series of long corridors and darkened doorways. He noticed that as they kept walking, the wallpaper and ceilings became more and more decrepit. There were mold and feces everywhere. It seemed that this part of the building was forgotten and left to rot away. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a mysterious door. On the front was a faded sign which said 'Playroom.' Above him was a yellowed, flickering light that didn't do much to illuminate the hallway they were standing in.  _

_ "A-are my friends in th-there?" asked Jeremy, pointing to the door as his voice gave away his increasing fear.  _

_ As he saw the boy's fear, the figure knelt and removed the Golden Freddy head. "Yes. Your friends Gabriel, Fritz, and Susie are all in there. They're all waiting...for you."  _

_ Jeremy gulped. Something deep down told him this was wrong. That whatever was behind the door was going to kill him. Slowly, he reached out his hand, grabbing the rust-covered doorknob. With a loud, drawn-out squeak, the door swung open. With precaution, he took a step forward, walking into the barely lit room. A few seconds later, as he walked down the steps, he heard the door slam shut behind him. He spun around in a blind panic and pounded against the door. As he tried to find the door handle, he realized that on the other side of the door, there wasn't one. He was locked in. _

_ "Hey! What are you doing?!" asked Jeremy, beginning to panic even more.  _

_ There was no answer. The figure had walked away, leaving Jeremy trapped in the room with his friends. He decided that banging on the door was doing nothing useful and began to walk further into the room. Once he was at the bottom step, he saw his friends. But they were all huddled in one corner, their gaze locked on something. Curious as to what they were staring at, Jeremy glanced in the same direction, taking note of a faint, foul-smelling scent. _

_ An old, outdated, Golden Freddy animatronic suit sat in the corner. The aged yellow plastic molding which covered the metal endoskeleton had worn away in several areas. He could see some dried blood on what remained of the plastic. And from what he could see through the holes of the plastic covering, there seemed to be something flesh-like within the animatronic endoskeleton. Shifting his gaze to the head of the suit, he noticed some greenish-yellow mucus-like liquid leaking out of its eye sockets. Stepping closer to the animatronic, he noticed that the foul smell grew stronger. It smelled like decaying flesh, something he recognized thanks to his parents having hunting trips every so often. He covered his nose and mouth with his shirt as he reached out a hand and tapped the animatronic. The single tap was enough to cause the suit to shift, unlocking the spring locks inside.  _

_ As the spring locks shifted inside, they forced the suit forward, exposing the back. With the posterior now exposed, Jeremy could see inside it. He gasped when he saw what was trapped inside. It was the body of a girl who had been seen around his school occasionally. Her body had gotten severely mutilated due to the mechanical parts and wires digging into her now greyish, rotting, gooey mush of a corpse. There were also white maggots and flies crawling all around and in her body. It was like a horror movie come to life. He could see that her head had gotten forcibly bashed into the head of the animatronic suit. Still keeping his mouth covered, he backed away, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down.  _

_ "Jeremy!" exclaimed Susie, her voice breaking the silence. "What are you doing here?"  _

_ "I was looking for you guys," replied Jeremy, giving Susie a quick hug. He could smell that she had vomited recently. "Why did you guys get trapped in here?"  _

_ Jeremy heard Susie sigh. "We got trapped because of the same guy that brought you here."  _

_ As Jeremy heard Susie mention the guy who brought them all there, he remembered something. The guy was wearing something purple, something that looked like a security officer suit. Of course, he was wearing the Golden Freddy costume over it, and the lighting in the hall did nothing to make it visible. That meant he couldn't be sure, but it did seem to be a purple security shirt from what he did see. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Susie begin to explain how each of his friends got trapped.  _

_ A few hours later, the door opened again. Standing in the doorway was the guy the kids now dubbed 'The Purple Guy.' Mostly because of the security suit he was wearing. The light was blinding after hours of sitting in near pitch-black darkness. But that didn't affect their hearing. With every step the guy took, they could hear the steps creak.  _

_ "Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready...to die?" asked the Purple Guy.  _

_ Jeremy and his friends huddled even closer together, finding some comfort in being close to one another. As the Purple Guy got closer to them, they tried to pull themselves into an even tighter huddle. Jeremy, who was the tiniest of the four, attempted to make himself even smaller as the figure got closer. But that was in vain. The Purple Guy was stronger and faster than he was. Feeling a sturdy hand grip his arm tightly, he knew that he was in trouble. Jeremy tried to wriggle his arm free, but it was useless. All he could do was let himself get helplessly dragged away from his friends, knowing he was likely never to see them or his family again.  _

_ The Purple Guy pushed Jeremy into a smaller, brightly lit room. The walls, ceiling, and even the floor were covered in plastic like someone was preparing for a gruesome murder. In the area, there were tables with tools spread out on them. The instruments ranged from axes to guns. It seemed every weapon that had the potential to mutilate the human body was there. As Jeremy walked past a circular saw, a shudder ran down his spine. Seeing a room that was full of weapons, he realized what was going to happen. He turned to the Purple Guy.  _

_ "Please, mister, don't kill me. My mom will worry about me if I don't come home," begged Jeremy as tears welled up in the corner of his eyes. _

_ The Purple Guy chuckled as he grabbed an ax off the nearby table. "Kid, I am going to kill you. I am going to because...I can. And, as you scream, I will enjoy… every… last… second."  _

_ Those words. Those hurtful words that had gotten said to cut away at Jeremy's defenses were enough. The flood of tears that Jeremy was struggling to hold back, finally fell. Standing there crying, he watched as the ax got swung at him. The blade sliced deep into the skin, cutting into the muscle, almost to the bone. His blood poured down his arm from the injury, his pain worsening as he reached a tentative hand towards the cut. Before he had time to see the wound, he felt the ax cut into his abdomen next. The blade cut right below his ribs, barely missing the bone. He screamed with everything he had as he felt the pain of both injuries increase substantially. More blood poured from his body as the ax had gotten yanked free from his stomach, sending him to the ground in the process. A few minutes later, a pool of blood surrounded him, soaking his shirt, pants, coated his hair and skin. Using what strength he had, he looked up at the Purple Guy. Jeremy saw him removing the Golden Freddy costume, setting it aside. With his vision fading quickly, he let out one last sob before collapsing due to blood loss and exhaustion.  _

_ The Purple Guy set the ax down and picked up Jeremy's limp body, ignoring the blood which was now smeared all over the plastic covering the floor. He grabbed the sledgehammer off the table next to where the ax was sitting. A gut feeling told him he was going to need it later. Not caring that his shirt had become covered in the boy's blood, the Purple Guy continued to walk down to the main stage. He approached Pirate's Cove, where Foxy stayed when the show ended. He tossed Jeremy's body to the side, walking up to the animatronic. Having prior knowledge of how the animatronics worked, allowed him to be able to open the plastic covering and get to the endoskeleton beneath. _

_ Once he was inside, he pushed aside the mechanical gears and wires, which controlled the animatronic's movements. It was tricky to shove the gears and beams aside, especially as the suit wasn't a spring lock one like Golden Freddy was. But having to get cleaned out every so often meant the beams and wires had to get set aside, which made it easier to clean. And to stuff an 8-year old's body into them as well. Making sure that all gears and wires had gotten aside, he grabbed Jeremy's body and picked him up from the floor, which had become covered in blood. Carefully, he shoved his body into the body of the animatronic. He wrestled with the body for a moment until he finally managed to get all the boy's limbs into the cavity. Stepping back, he admired his handy work.  _

_ Everything was in place. Well, everything except Jeremy's head, which was resting against the beams and gears inside Foxy's head. The Purple Guy grabbed the sledgehammer, not happy that Jeremy's head wasn't inside of the animatronic. Raising the hammer above his head, he swung at the boy's head. The hammer hit Jeremy's skull, caving in a section of it. The impact also caused his head to get forced against the beams and gears. After getting forced against the cold metal, Jeremy's skull began to bleed from the front and the back where the sledgehammer contacted with it.  _

_ Amazingly, Jeremy was still conscious. Just barely, though, due to the severe injuries he had sustained. Slowly, Jeremy opened his eyes, finding that he was sore and surrounded by darkness. Through the small slits of the eye sockets, Jeremy could see the darkened main stage and party area where he had his party. But it was impossible to keep his vision from blurring as Jeremy lost more blood. He could feel his shirt and pants sticking to him, wet and warm because of his blood. Struggling, Jeremy tried to move his hand, but he found that he couldn't. Something was keeping it pinned down.  _

_ Before he could lift his head, he heard someone move behind him, removing something like an airlock. Seconds later, he felt several beams, gears, and wires dig into his body. More blood ran down his already stained clothes and skin. As the rods pushed deeper into his skin, eventually breaking some bones as they fought to get their original positions, he screamed. Or at least he tried. When he opened his mouth, it allowed the one beam that had been pushing at his lips to slip in. He gagged as the metal pushed itself to the back of his throat, ripping out the backside of it, severing his spine. The pain was unbearable, but by now, Jeremy was barely even aware as his eyelids started to droop. He felt the metal gears pushing and tearing away at his shirt and skin, mangling his body further. A few gears shoved themselves into the wounds caused by the Purple Guy's ax, increasing the boy's pain. A few agonizingly painful moments and one last shaky, ragged breath later, he felt his body go limp, his vision going dark for the final time as his heart stopped. _

*** *** *** ***

Her hand slid down off Foxy's back as Sunset Shimmer stepped back. The redhead's eyes were flickering back and forth as she was struggling to process what she had just witnessed. The images, though now fading, were still very vivid in her mind. She kept replaying the ax cutting Jeremy's skin open, the blood oozing and pouring from the wound. With every drop of blood hitting the plastic, the sound echoed in her ears. Then the image changed, shifting to when Jeremy opened Golden Freddy, discovering the corpse. The image became distorted, lines of red, blue, and green surrounded the objects making it appear as though she saw it through an altered lens. Yet, she could hear the sound of the maggots eating away at the mush and rot of what was left. The noise was louder than the blood dripping onto the plastic. With every wriggle, the sound of the maggots digging into the moist flesh made her want to gag. 

Sunset Shimmer took one step back too many, causing her to trip over a rock. She fell, her rear impacting with the ground. Surprisingly, she didn't register her fall. Or that all her friends were surrounding her, worried about her. Instead, all she noticed was that she felt cold and hot, evidenced by the shivering even though her skin was soaked with sweat, making her shirt cling to her body. She had become focused on the images and memories that she had just seen. So focused that she didn't even notice her breathing was heavy, almost to the point where she was hyperventilating. 

"Sugarcube...are you okay?" asked Applejack, resting her hand on Sunset's shoulder. 

"So violent...bloody...murder...can't be real…it was just suppose to be a game..." was all that the redhead could mutter at the moment. 

Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack. "Um, is she broken?" 

"So violent...bloody...murder...can't be real…it was just suppose to be a game..." repeated Sunset Shimmer, seemingly unaware of what she was saying. 

"Yep, she is broken." Rainbow Dash sighed. "So, what are we going to do if we can't snap her out of this?"

"I don't know, Dash," replied Applejack, glancing back up at her friend. "I don't know." 

Twilight Sparkle sat next to Sunset, hoping that her presence would help to calm her friend. Looking, she noticed that her friend's pupils had become constricted. It seemed that Sunset Shimmer still wasn't present like her mind was still making her see the memories. But she also noticed that tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was crying, which meant that whatever she saw must've affected her big time. Twilight Sparkle raised her arm, getting ready to rest it on her friend's back. Just as she was about to, she hesitated, thinking better of it. With her friend already panicked enough, she didn't want to worsen it by making the wrong choice. And deep down, she didn't want her to run off because  _ she _ had touched her. The pain of the cafeteria incident was still there, making her feel like a monster. So, she settled for resting it on her knee.

"Sunset?" Twilight kept her voice low and calm as she met Sunset's distant gaze. "Can you hear my voice?"

Sunset Shimmer nodded, her eyes dilating as she started to come back to awareness. She looked at Twilight, thankful that she was there. Looking down for a moment, she saw that her shirt had gotten covered in teardrop splatters. It finally dawned on her that her eyes and cheeks were both wet with tears. Reaching out a shaky hand, she rested it over Twilight's soft one. 

Barely managing to speak, she said in a weak voice, "Y-yes, Twi."

Twilight Sparkle smiled, grateful that her friend was back. "Are you okay?" 

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, still trying to process what she had just seen. "No, not really. But I will be Sparky." 

It was Fluttershy's turn to speak. "So, what did you see exactly?" 

That question made Sunset Shimmer grow uneasy. It was because of the images that she felt uncomfortable. A part of her wanted to keep her friends from knowing the gruesome information she did. It was bad enough that it was her burden. To burden her friends with it seemed wrong in more than one way. Yet, she also knew deep down that she owed it to them, considering she had worried them. She didn't want to answer it, but reluctantly, she did anyway. 

"I saw an 8-year-old boy brutally getting murdered by someone who was wearing a Golden Freddy costume. And he wasn't alone either. He had friends with him– three others. And a dead body in the room with him." replied Sunset, her voice sounding very monotone as she recalled the events. It was clear that she was trying to detach herself from the images. Though, the occasional crack gave away the fact she was stifling her building sobs.

Everyone went quiet after Sunset Shimmer finished speaking. There were some exchanges of worried or shocked expressions before all eyes fell back on the redhead. The information was shocking, and that was barely saying anything. And none of them expected to hear that. Then again, they didn't know what to expect either. Rarity grabbed Applejack's hand, squeezing it tightly as she covered her mouth. Her gag reflex threatened to kick in, but she managed to keep it under control. She felt the cowgirl squeeze her hand back, being mindful of her strength. Having a geode that magically enhanced one's strength wasn't an easy thing to have, as Rarity had seen on numerous occasions. 

Twilight, meanwhile, tightened her grip on Sunset's knee. It was all she felt she could do. After the incident at lunch, she now felt there were limits to what was acceptable. Like Sunset had drawn up lines in the sand, making sure that she wouldn't come close to whatever secret she was guarding. Though she had forgiven her for what happened during lunch, it still bothered her, not knowing what caused the sudden burst of anger. But she knew it wasn't going to help if she berated her friend after she had just seen something horrible. As she sat there with Sunset, she heard the sound of what she thought was soft sobbing. 

"It's still painful, isn't it?" asked Twilight, glancing at the animatronic fox who was still trapped by the ropes. 

"Y-yeah," said Sunset, sniffling as she wiped off a few tears. "It is still hard to see the images…" 

"I can imagine. Though, you do seem to be doing better." Twilight pointed out as she kept her gaze locked on Foxy. "So, I guess it's getting easier." 

"It is." Sunset Shimmer stood up, still holding Twilight's hand as she pulled her to her feet as well. "But I think it is time we see if we have brought Jeremy back." 

"Jeremy?" asked Pinkie Pie, finally breaking her silence. "Who's that?"

"Jeremy is the 8-year-old kid trapped inside that animatronic," replied Sunset, glancing back at Foxy. "I think his soul is trapped inside, just lying dormant." 

Gathering what she could manage, Sunset forced the images aside. They were particularly gruesome, yes. And most likely, she was going to need therapy or a lot of journaling to deal with the fall out of what she saw. But right now, she had to concentrate on seeing if Jeremy was still trapped inside. If the memories were any help, then she was right about his soul getting stuck. On the off chance that the memories meant nothing except torture for the rest of her life, Sunset Shimmer was wrong and would've seen horrible stuff for no reason. Cautiously, almost as if she was  _ scared  _ of Foxy, she approached him. 

"J-Jeremy? Is that y-your name?" asked Sunset. 

The girls all looked at one another then back at Sunset and Foxy, wondering what was going to happen next. Whenever Sunset did something, it was because she had a theory. And she was usually right, most of the time. 

Blinking, the animatronic fox looked around at his surroundings. He saw a red and yellow-haired girl kneeling in front of him, her friends standing behind her. Looking down, he saw that his one arm and hook were lying in front of him. Examining his body further, he saw that there were large, heavy ropes tied around his body. Still bound by the thick gym ropes, he struggled against them, trying in vain to free himself. After a few minutes, he stopped, seeing that his bindings weren't going to break. Something, maybe a gut instinct, told him he had to locate Fritz, that he had to get away from these girls. That he had to save his friend, and hopefully, after he found him, they could get away from the strange girls in front of him. He tried once more to break free, but it wasn't successful. 

"Jeremy?" Sunset Shimmer asked, repeating herself in a more firm voice. "Is that you?" 

Jeremy blinked again; his attention brought back to the girl in front of him. How did she know his name? He didn't remember telling her, or even meeting her until now. That made him pull his hook closer to him, preparing for an attack. Being in an unknown world, he wasn't too sure of who he could trust. 

"Yes, my name is Jeremy," replied Jeremy, shocked by the sound of his robotic voice. "Who are you?" 

"What the...that is so weird…" muttered Rainbow Dash, not wanting ruin...whatever was happening between Jeremy and Sunset.

The girls were all shocked by the response. The entire time they had seen the animatronics, they hadn't once heard them speak. Now that they did, it was strange. All of them, Sunset Shimmer included, expected the voice to sound like theirs – human. Though, the fact that Jeremy was speaking through an animatronic voice box would explain the sound of it. Standing around Sunset, they all waited to see what was going to happen next. 

Sunset Shimmer could feel her heart race in her chest. She clenched her fists, trying to control her breathing. Glancing back, she saw Twilight Sparkle had stepped back and sat on a nearby boulder. Her shoulders were slumped forward, her arms resting on her knees as she looked down. To anyone else, it would've seemed that Twilight wasn't feeling good like maybe she was sick. But to Sunset, it was not that simple. She knew why her friend had chosen to keep her distance, just like she had decided to rest her hand on her knee instead of her back. Her friend was sitting there on the boulder, her mind reeling about what secrets she was hiding. And that was all because she made the wrong choice in lying to her. 

"You're damn right about that!" said Sunset's inner conscience, making its presence known. "Your lies are what put you in this position." 

_ "I see that." _ thought Sunset, not in the mood to talk to her conscience. 

"Are you going to tell her the truth? Admit your secret about...Demon Shimmer?" asked her conscience. 

_ "Right now, no,"  _ replied Sunset, looking down as she sighed.  _ "After this, yes." _

"Hmph. You better." That was the last she heard her conscience say before it went silent. 

As Sunset Shimmer looked up, glancing over at Twilight Sparkle, she met her gaze. In the beautiful violet eyes of her friend, she could see that she was troubled – troubled by her odd behavior and how she had acted during lunch. Combined with her knowledge of Twilight's thoughts from earlier, it didn't take much to figure out what Twilight was thinking about. She flashed her friend a small smile that seemed to say, "I'm sorry I hurt you." But she was met with her friend looking away. 

_ "Guess I really fucked up today…" _ thought Sunset as she returned her attention to the animatronic fox in front of her. 

"Jeremy, I am Sunset Shimmer," Sunset spoke in a soft tone, keeping in mind that this was a kid she was talking to, not a murderous animatronic that had killed two children. "And these are all my friends." 

One by one, each of the girls stepped closer to Jeremy. Applejack nodded, tilting her hat down as well. Rarity cleared her throat, ignoring the blood dripping off his hook and said a proper 'hello.' Rainbow Dash did her usual 'Sup, the name's Dash, Rainbow Dash' thing. Pinkie Pie apologized for throwing cupcakes at him, which Jeremy said he didn't mind. After all, he wasn't in a human body anymore. The only two who hadn't greeted Jeremy were Fluttershy and Twilight. 

"Fluttershy, you going to say hi to Jeremy?" asked Rarity.

Fluttershy shook her head no. She was still too terrified of him and what he did. The very fact he had become trapped in a very tall, powerful, animatronic body that came with a sharp hook was enough to make her not want to approach him. In her mind, she kept replaying the image of his metal hook slamming into the boy's spine. It was a gruesome scene, one that would haunt her forever. And the reason she feared Jeremy now. However, that didn't seem to stop Sunset from walking up to her. 

"It's okay, Shy. Jeremy's not going to hurt you," said Sunset, keeping her calm tone.

"I-I don't want to approach him. Please, Sunset." Fluttershy tried not to give in to her fear. 

Seeing that her friend was scared, Sunset Shimmer stopped. "Okay, I understand. You can say hi to him whenever you want." 

Deciding it was best not to force Fluttershy to try and approach Jeremy when she was terrified, she turned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. Though she was a bit worried that her friend wouldn't want to see her, Sunset Shimmer pushed that aside. Especially considering that she was likely the reason she hadn't joined the rest of the girls in greeting Jeremy. Walking up to her friend, she held out her hand. 

"Want to say hi to Jeremy?" asked Sunset. 

"No." Twilight's voice was quiet, and void of any emotion like it usually was when she was busy thinking. "I don't want to say hi to him right now, Sunset."

Sunset Shimmer sighed. "Okay, that's fine, Twi." 

The redhead made her way back towards Jeremy, upset by the way Twilight Sparkle had acted towards her. She knew that she had made a mistake in treating her the way she did, but this was different. It was like Twilight was actively trying to figure out that she had become a she-demon at one point. The worst part was that if she kept it up, she would have it figured out quickly. With what Trixie said, her reaction to her touch, and whatever the girls may have said to her, there was more than enough to make it an easy puzzle to solve. As she stood next to Jeremy, she tried to ignore that fact. 

"Wh-where are my friends?" asked Jeremy, his voice showing his worry. 

"We don't know. We have only seen you so far since yesterday," answered Sunset, looking at him. 

"Oh…" Jeremy tried to get out of the ropes once more. But they didn't budge, like before. Giving up, he turned to Sunset. "Um, can you let me out of these, please?" 

That question made Sunset Shimmer take a step back, unsure of what she should do. She looked at her friends, wondering what they thought. Some of the girls exchanged worried glances, clearly sharing her worries that Jeremy was only  _ acting _ friendly so he could get freed. But when they looked at the cowgirl, their expressions changed from fear to apprehension. With an apparent decision made, Applejack walked up to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. It seemed she had helped the girls make a choice. 

"Untie him, Sunset," said Applejack, glancing at Jeremy. 

Sunset Shimmer nodded, walking over to the right side of Jeremy. Bending down, she undid one knot right below his shoulder. As the knot had gotten, the rest of the ropes fell, landing on the ground next to him. Just like that, he had become free from the trap. She stood back as he got back to his feet. Surprisingly, he appeared to be a lot taller the closer she was to him. From a distance, he didn't seem quite as tall. That didn't change the fact that she was going to be unable to forget what she saw in his memories. Though, seeing as though were his memories and he was okay – well, as okay as he could be for an 8-year-old who had gotten savagely murdered – she figured that perhaps she could get through it as well. 

"Thank you, Sunset Shimmer," replied Jeremy, being mindful of his hook. 

Sunset Shimmer smiled at him. "Just call me Sunset, Jeremy." 

"Okay, Sunset. Can you help me find the rest of my friends?" asked Jeremy. 

Sunset nodded. "But, you have to promise my friends and me that you won't hurt us or anyone else. Can you do that?" 

"Yeah," said Jeremy. "But, uh, what do you mean by anyone else? Did I… hurt someone already?" 


	6. Night 6: The Easter Bunny has been very Evil

Jeremy was walking behind Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Behind him, taking up the rear, was Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. They were heading back to the playground, where one of the two kids were. As they made their way there, Rarity and Applejack kept an eye on Jeremy. Yes, he was just a child, but he also happened to be a child trapped inside an animatronic body. And in that body, he could do some severe damage if they weren't careful, like with the two kids. So, as a precaution, they kept their distance, just in case. Eventually, the playground came into view. To Sunset's relief, there were no cops yet. But she knew it was only a matter of time before it was swarming with them.

"Okay, we are here," said Sunset Shimmer as she turned around and faced the girls and Jeremy. 

"Where's the body?" asked Jeremy, not seeing the kid's body anywhere. 

Sunset Shimmer glanced behind her at the boy's body. She had to cover her mouth to prevent her gag reflex from kicking in. The ground around it was stained dark red from the blood which had drained from the body. It was like someone had tried to use blood to make mud rather than water. However, that was nothing compared to the stench in the air. The playground and the surrounding area reeked of blood. So much so, that the other girls had even covered their mouths and noses as well. Blood was everywhere. Even his shirt had gotten completely soaked on the back and sides. The front was stained as well, but not nearly as much as she figured the back was. His skin had turned pale and ashen. Thankfully, it seemed that him lying on his back hid the injury that Jeremy caused. That made her grateful she had blocked Jeremy's view of it. Scarring him even more than he already was, wasn't part of her plan. Not after all that he had been through. 

Turning her attention back to him, she said, "Are you sure you're ready for this, Jeremy?"

Jeremy walked up to Sunset Shimmer, the girls stepping aside as he approached her. He kept his hook at his side, partly because he didn't want to see the blood on it. And partly because it was a safer bet than if Jeremy moved it. As he looked at the redhead, he noticed that she had stepped back from him. That worried him. Had he angered her? Or was she... _ scared _ of him? Was it because he had murdered some children? It was an accident. But he figured that she had a right to be afraid, especially since his hook had gotten coated in the boy's blood. So, instead of pushing the matter, he just acted like he didn't notice it.

Jeremy nodded. "Yes, Sunset. I am ready." 

Sunset Shimmer swallowed hard, stepping aside and allowing Jeremy to see the boy's corpse. She eyed him, watching for his reaction. It was nerve-wracking for her to be unsure of what seeing the boy's body would do to him. She had a working theory about why Jeremy decided to force his soul into his unconscious. If she was right, this wasn't the first time he had murdered someone. If the game suggested anything, this was far from the first time he had committed a murder.

Jeremy approached the body of the young boy. He looked no older than he was, which was shocking to him. In the boy's still open eyes, Jeremy saw the petrified look he recognized as his own. It was a look Jeremy knew well, having seen many kids become terrified of him whenever Jeremy tried to say hi to them. It was also the look Jeremy knew well, as that was what Jeremy felt when he had died. Kneeling, he moved his hand onto the boy's body. 

"Jeremy, don't-" began Sunset Shimmer as she saw Jeremy lift the body and shifting so the body sideways, revealing the injury he caused. 

Jeremy lifted the boy's shift and saw the three-inch hole in his back. If one looked carefully enough, they could see the bone of the boy's spine. The hole created by him was deep enough to allow him to see the damage he caused. Curious, Jeremy slipped his hook into the boy's injury. It fit his hook perfectly. There was still some blood oozing from the wound, which trailed down the side of the boy's back as he pulled his hook free. 

"I caused this, didn't I?" asked Jeremy, glancing back at Sunset. "I killed him…" 

"Yes.." Sunset Shimmer struggled to say the word out loud. It felt like it would do more harm if she spoke it. Yet, it came out, just barely, though, as if she was still fighting herself. 

Jeremy looked down at his hook, the silver metal coated in a layer of dried blood. Minutes passed as he continued to eye the metal. He couldn't tell what he felt more strongly, guilt or disgust. By his hand, or rather hook, a kid had died. He was aware of some of the murders he had committed. But he was thankful that none of them were kids until now. In a new world that he knew nothing about with some strange girls that he just met, Jeremy had shattered the one thing he prided himself on not doing. Something that sounded like what could be considered a sigh broke the silence that had fallen over the group. 

"Where is the other one?" asked Jeremy, his eyes never leaving the boy's body. 

"It's over there, on the trail leading towards the shelter," responded Fluttershy, pointing to the trail that she and her friends had exited when they were chasing after him. 

Jeremy looked at the spot where Fluttershy was pointing. "Can I go see him as well?" 

"No," was the immediate answer from Sunset. "You can't. We have to get out of here before the police show up." 

The girls stood back, unsure of how Jeremy would react to Sunset's response. They all had noticed that his hand had made a fist as she spoke, which didn't seem to be a good sign. Slowly, he pushed himself up, rising to his full 8-foot height. Once he was fully upright, he turned to face the redhead, his eyes shining brightly, a red glow emitting from them. Walking up to her, he raised his hook to her arm, resting it against her shoulder. Wondering was happening, Sunset Shimmer staggered back, her eyes locking into Jeremy's gaze. 

"Thank you for showing me what I did," said Jeremy, catching everyone off guard. Hanging his head low, he continued as the red glow emanating from his eyes died off. "I am sorry that I caused more trouble for you and your friends. And I can assure you I will prevent this from happening again." 

Sunset Shimmer gulped. "Glad I could help."

"Can I ask you a question?" Jeremy's voice quivered for a split second. "What was I doing before I killed those two kids?" 

"You were chasing after a night guard," answered Fluttershy. 

"Yeah, just like you were last night," added Sunset. 

Jeremy let his hand fall from the redhead's shoulder, stepping back from her. It was clear that he was disturbed by his actions. His eyes, though they were only plastic, seemed to dim as he recalled the events that led up to the deaths of the two kids. His hook rested at his side as he walked past Sunset, stopping when he reached a bench. Standing behind the back of it, he rested his hand and hook on it. 

"Where am I, Sunset?" asked Jeremy. "Where is my mom?" 

"You're in Canterlot City, and I don't know Jeremy," replied Sunset, still keeping her distance. 

"Canterlot City? Well, I guess I am not in Kansas anymore," replied Jeremy, looking at the girls. 

Twilight Sparkle sighed. It was fascinating to see Sunset Shimmer talking to Jeremy like she didn't see the animatronic body he was in. Just the 8-year-old boy that was inside. That was one of the many things she had come to admire about her. She could see someone for who they were, not their actions or appearance – something that was evident whenever Twilight confided in her about the Friendship Games and Midnight Sparkle. Looking down, she hid the slight smile that slowly appeared as she reminisced over the memories. Taking a deep breath, she brought herself back to the present. As much as she didn't want to intrude in the conversation happening between her friend and Jeremy, she knew that the cops were going to show up soon. 

Twilight Sparkle walked up to Jeremy, resting her hand on his arm. "I hate to ruin this moment, but we need to leave."

"Twilight's right, Jeremy. The cops will be swarming this place soon," interjected Sunset. 

"Uh, one problem," said Rainbow Dash. "Where the hell are we gonna hide him?" 

Applejack walked up to both Sunset and Twilight, Rarity in tow. "We could hide him at my family's farm. There is an old barn we don't use much anymore." 

"Are you sure?" asked Sunset, turning to the cowgirl. "Won't your family notice an animatronic fox suddenly appearing on your farm?" 

She glanced over at Twilight Sparkle as she waited for Applejack's answer. She noticed that she seemed to be less lost in thought than earlier. But her eyes still showed signs of anger and confusion. That was a troubling sight to see. Enough so that the hairs on her arm stood on end. Shaking her head, Sunset Shimmer returned her attention to Applejack. 

"No, they don't really go by the old barn anymore," replied Applejack. "It's perfect for him. And his friends, assuming we can find them, that is." 

"Okay, then we go there," said Sunset. "Jeremy, is that okay with you?" 

"Yep," replied Jeremy. 

With that, all the girls headed out of the park, skipping the trail. They figured it was better not to risk being seen by a body more than they already were. Walking away from the park, they avoided as many open areas just in case there was anyone nearby. Having Jeremy getting spotted wasn't going to make anything better. Especially with his other friends still on the loose. They continued like this, hiking to get to Applejack's farm before nightfall. 

*** *** *** *** 

Back at the old electrical building, Springtrap was pacing back and forth. His metal feet scraped against the cracked concrete floor as he walked around. The sound filled the void of silence that had settled in the building. In the back of his mind, he had begun to regret not taking the Phantoms with him. They could be of use to him now. But all he had was the one animatronic. And it was glitchy and broken. Clearly, the trip to the new world damaged it. 

_ "But maybe it could provide some useful information…" _ thought Springtrap, turning his attention to the animatronic. 

He walked up to the Marionette, kicking its spindly legs. "Hey, wake up!" 

The Marionette stirred, moving its arm underneath its body as it pushed itself up. Something felt different this time. Its circuits felt like they were firing like normal. Looking around, it realized that it was not in the music box anymore. Slowly, it craned its head upward, looking at the source of the voice which had awoken it; Springtrap. Its black, non-existent eyes drilled into him, directing their anger at him. 

"Wh-what do wa-want?" asked the Marionette. 

"Well, I am glad to hear you can say other words. This was going to be a dull conversation if all you could say was, 'What do you mean?'." Springtrap kneeled in front of the Marionette. "Now that I have you awake, I need something from you." 

"What wo-would that be?" The Marionette sat up, leaning against the wall. 

Springtrap chuckled, looking down at his hands. "Some information." He glanced back up, his eyes glowing white as he continued. "On your friends." 

"M-my friends? What do you wa-want with them?" The Marionette asked, curious as to where this conversation was going. 

"I want to find them," replied Springtrap, standing back up. "And I know you can help me. So, tell me – where would your friends be if they were searching for someone in an unknown area?" 

The Marionette tilted its head, confused by what Springtrap was talking about. Why were his friends in an unknown area? And what exactly were they searching for? They didn't know, but the fact Springtrap was asking meant he wasn't sure either. If they gave him what he wanted, they knew their friends would be in danger. But refusing meant that they would seal their demise. Springtrap had shown that he wasn't going to take being rebelled against lightly. Choosing to give him what he wanted, they spoke. 

"I-I don't know. But de-depending on where they we-were, they would still be in the area." replied the Marionette, its glitchy voice worsening the more it spoke. 

Springtrap nodded. "Good. Though, I have to wonder, why would you rat out your friends?" 

"I-I don't kn-know…" said the Marionette. 

"Hmm, interesting." Springtrap rubbed his chin, or what one could presume was his chin. "Thanks for the info, now go back to being useless." 

The Marionette laid back down, its plastic body creaking as it moved. Its eye sockets shut close as if it had eyes, instead of empty pits. Its mind wandered back to its memories. They were foggy and vague, but there. Laying there, the Marionette tried to recall them, to make them clearer. Slowly, as if time had stalled to a stop, the images came into view. But they were scattered and continuously shifting from one thing to another. 

As the Marionette laid on the ground, its mind whirling about its almost forgotten memories, Springtrap stood in the doorway of the building. His mind was also reeling, but not about forgotten memories. Instead, it was about where he would most likely find the Marionette's friends. 

_ "If they were still at the high school when I left, they'll most likely be nearby. Assuming those idiot assholes didn't wander off." _ thought Springtrap. 

Looking back, he saw that the Marionette was back to being quiet and still. Just the way he liked it. The annoying sounds that came from it were enough to make him almost miss the sounds of screaming 3-year-olds. Almost… but not really. He walked out of the building, knowing that his "pet" wasn't going to go anywhere. After all, he was on a mission. The girls and the kids they were helping had to die. Now. 

*** *** *** ***

After walking for what felt like forever, the girls stopped, resting their tired feet. Sure, Applejack's farm was close to the school. Yet, the park was a good five miles away from the school. Combined with them taking the other routes to avoid Jeremy getting seen, it took even longer. Their feet also ached from walking around on the bumpy terrain instead of the smooth sidewalk. Sitting down on a boulder, Applejack sighed. 

"We can't keep up like this forever. We'll have to walk on the sidewalk," said Applejack as she closed her eyes, enjoying the relief of being off her feet. 

"And risk exposing Jeremy?" Twilight interjected. "That's a risk we can't take, not until the rest of his runaway friends have gotten captured." 

"Twilight's right, AJ. We can't risk exposing Jeremy and his friends," said Sunset, standing next to the cowgirl. "But you have a point – walking around on this uneven ground is an accident waiting to happen."

Jeremy sat down on the ground next to them, his joints groaning in the process. Being in a metal body, he didn't feel the exhaustion the girls did. That was one upside to being forever trapped in an animatronic body. But he still wished he could get away from it. Looking down, he saw the bloodied hook which he had used to kill the boy on the playground. The sight of blood disgusted him enough that he had to turn away. He couldn't stand seeing the blood. Not knowing that it was blood spilled from an innocent kid. Closing his eyes, he shoved his thoughts, and the images associated with them, aside. Sighing, he turned his attention to Sunset. 

"So, what do we do now?" He asked. 

"Now, we have to continue walking," said Sunset. 

"Can we at least do it on the sidewalk? We won't make it home before dark if we keep taking alternate paths to keep a big red fox hidden." Rainbow Dash said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We're like 10 minutes away if we walk on the sidewalk, but 30 minutes or more with the alternate paths." 

Sunset Shimmer looked at Applejack then Jeremy. "What do you guys think?"

"I am cool with it. I doubt anyone is going to notice us," said Jeremy. 

"Well, if he is fine with it, I will be happy to agree with him," added Applejack. "My feet sure do." 

"Great! Now that was decided, can we please go?" asked Rainbow Dash, her impatience starting to get the better of her. 

Sunset Shimmer nodded, standing up as she helped Applejack to her feet as well. Together, the girls started to walk down the sidewalk. By now, the sun had begun to set, lighting the sky with hues of oranges and pinks – almost like a painting on a canvas. It reminded her of the sunsets she used to see back home in Equestria. Holding out a hand, she helped Applejack to her feet. As she and the girls started to walk back down towards the sidewalk, she turned to Jeremy. 

“Hey, Jeremy, “ Sunset Shimmer started, keeping her eyes on him as she continued walking. “I hate to ask this, but I have to. Do you know where any of your friends might be?” 

“Um, I think they were heading off to find the night guard,” replied Jeremy, his mind trying to find the memories of what his friends went hazily. “Like I was when you girls found me.” 

_ “Great. I just hope the kids don’t kill anyone else while they are out looking for that damn night guard.” _ thought Sunset as she tucked her hands into her jacket pockets. 

As she tried to think of another question to ask him, Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Twilight Sparkle. She was still avoiding her a little bit. Not that she blamed her for doing so. Wanting to see how she was doing, she walked over to her. Walking side by side, the redhead found it hard to talk to her. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to upset her friend any more than she already had. Or perhaps it was her fear of revealing the truth about her past. Whatever it was, she pushed it aside. 

“Hey, Twi. How are you holding up?” asked Sunset, giving her a half-hearted smile. 

Twilight Sparkle kept her head down as she spoke. “I am doing okay, Sunset.” 

Sunset Shimmer could sense that Twilight wasn’t in the mood for talking. She looked away, regretting even talking to her. It was clear that it was a mistake. 

“Okay, that’s good.” Sunset Shimmer wasn’t sure what else to say. “Well, if you need anything, just let me know.”

“Yeah, okay…” muttered Twilight Sparkle, still lost in her thoughts. 

Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to push Twilight further, decided to leave her alone. She started walking behind her, allowing her friend to have her space. As she walked, her mind wandered to what had happened at lunch. She realized that she had acted differently towards Twilight. That she lashed out at her, acting colder towards her friend. As that dawned on her, she froze for a moment. 

_ “I...acted so...cold towards her…” _ Sunset closed her eyes, trying to force the memory aside.

“How many of my friends are here with me?” asked Jeremy, not realizing what was happening with Sunset. 

Jolted from her concentration, Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Jeremy. “Huh?”

“I asked how many of my friends were here with me,” said Jeremy, repeating his question. “Are you okay, Sunset? You seem like you have something on your mind.” 

“Yeah, I was just thinking about Twilight,” replied Sunset. “As for your earlier question, I don’t know. Maybe five, including you.” 

“Did they remember who they were at all?” Jeremy asked, continuing to walk next to Sunset. “Or were they like me? Forgotten who they once were?” 

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “I don’t know, Jeremy. It seemed that they didn’t remember who they were, but it’s impossible to tell from the few seconds that I was fighting to save my friends and me from them.” Her annoyance at his question was starting to get the better of her. 

“Wait, we tried to kill you?” Jeremy was shocked by that revelation. 

“Yeah, you tried to kill poor Fluttershy and Rarity,” said Pinkie Pie as she started to walk backward. “Luckily, we were about to knock you out.”

“Actually Pinkie, it was Twi and me that knocked him out,” added Applejack, correcting Pinkie Pie.

“Were they still trapped in the animatronics they died in? Like how I am still trapped inside of the one they call Foxy.” Jeremy looked down at his hook, wondering if he was ever going to get freed from his metal cage. 

“I-I think so,” Sunset Shimmer said, looking at Jeremy. “But we’ll know more when we can find the rest of your friends.” 

“Okay,” Jeremy said. 

*** *** *** ***

After they arrived at Applejack’s farm, Sunset Shimmer and Applejack walked Jeremy to the barn. By now, night had started to fall. The once vibrant oranges and reds had now all but faded away. Which left the sky colored a dark blue hue as the black of night crept up. As Sunset approached the old barn, she saw an old, almost dilapidated building. The paint on the outside was mostly gone, having peeled off in the years of neglect. The walls had some holes where the missing wood either rotted away or splintered off during the hot summers. She approached the two massive wooden doors that were held close by a large wooden beam. 

“When you said that you hadn’t been using this barn for a while, I at least thought it was going to be in decent shape,” said Sunset as she pulled the wooden beam from the door. 

“Well...we were plannin’ on tearin’ it down. But we got so busy with the farm work and harvestin’ the apples that we kinda forgot to take it down.” Applejack replied, following Sunset Shimmer and Jeremy into the barn. 

The barn was nowhere near as big as the main one Sunset Shimmer was used to seeing. That one was big enough to have six horse stalls, a tack room, and a ‘Hay Room’ as Applejack liked to call it. This one, in comparison, only had two horse stalls, a small, make-shift tack room, and the rest of the barn was occupied by towers of hay bales that reached the ceiling. Walking over to one of the towers, Sunset Shimmer started to grab a few hay bales, making a makeshift bed for Jeremy. 

“I know this ain’t much Jer, but I hope it is enough,” said Applejack as she grabbed a dust-covered tarp from behind one of the hay bales. 

“It’s fine, I like it,” said Jeremy as he sat down on one of the hay bales. “It’s much nicer than the pizzeria.” 

“I can imagine,” Sunset said, sitting next to him. “Do you miss the pizzeria?” 

Jeremy shook his head. “No, I don’t. I hated it there. I hated being trapped in that awful place.” 

“From what I heard about it, I don’t blame you,” said Applejack as she walked over to him. “Anyway, if you need anything sugarcube, just let one of us know, okay?” 

“Okay, I will Applejack,” replied Jeremy, turning to face the cowgirl. 

“Also, Jer?” started Applejack. 

“Yeah?” asked Jeremy. 

“You can call me AJ if you want. It’s what my friends do.” finished Applejack, giving him a wink. 

With that, Applejack left Sunset Shimmer and Jeremy in the barn. Sunset watched as her friend walked into the main house, closing the screen door behind her. Once her friend was out of sight, she turned to Jeremy, smiling at him. 

“So, are you comfortable here?” She asked. 

“Yes, I am.” Jeremy tried to smile at her back but remembered that he had become trapped in a robotic body. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here.” 

“No problem. We’re happy to help.” Sunset replied.

Jeremy chuckled, his laugh sounded like static on a TV with no signal. “Thanks. Will you and your friends help me find my friends?” 

“Of course, we will,” said Sunset Shimmer as she rested her hand on his arm. “We all want to help you and your friends.” 

“You promise, Sunset?” asked Jeremy, meeting her gaze. 

“Yes, Jeremy. I promise I will do everything I can to help you and your friends.” Sunset’s cyan eyes shone in the moonlight, which appeared through the holes in the roof.

“Good.” Jeremy laid down, oddly feeling exhausted. “I’m gonna take a nap now.” 

“Okay.” Sunset let her hand fall away from Jeremy’s arm. “Well, I better be going now.” 

After that, Sunset Shimmer exited the barn, closing the two behind her. As she walked away from the building, she hoped that it would remain standing. Having it collapse would be one thing she didn’t need. Shaking her worries aside, she opened the screen door and walked in, closing the door behind her. Walking into the kitchen area, she saw the sight of her friends sitting around a large dining room table. 

Pinkie Pie was eating a banana split, which she had quickly whipped up for herself. Sunset had to stifle a chuckle as she saw a mustache made of whipped cream appear on her friend’s top lip. Rarity was helping Fluttershy calm down from the evening’s frightening experiences. She was rubbing the animal lover’s arm, trying to keep her calm. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had sped out of the kitchen and right back to her chair, phone in hand. 

“This is so cool! I can’t wait to share this photo on my SnapGap!” said Rainbow Dash as she flipped through the photos she had taken of Jeremy. 

“Uh, Rainbow Dash, dear?” started Rarity as she looked at the polychromatic haired girl. “I don’t think that is a good idea.” 

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Oh, come on! I just want to share the fact that we have an animatronic fox in our town.” 

“Did you already forget what Twilight said earlier?” Rarity stopped rubbing Fluttershy’s arm, turning her full attention to Rainbow Dash. “We can’t risk exposing them, even if it would be for followers or more… awesomeness.” 

“Fine, I delete the picture,” said Rainbow Dash, knowing that Rarity had a point. 

Twilight, meanwhile, was going through her phone, wondering if she had gotten any texts while she was gone. After checking her contacts and seeing nothing, she sighed and exited out of the app. She looked up from her phone for a split second, catching Sunset’s eye. Just as quickly as she met her gaze, she averted it back to her phone. Right now, she didn’t – no, couldn’t – face her knowing that might be something she was not aware of. So, she busied herself with checking in on her SnapGap account, seeing if the number of followers she amassed, had increased since her last post that afternoon.

“Mmm, apple pie. My favorite,” said Sunset Shimmer as she inhaled the scent of a freshly baked apple pie. 

“Yep. Granny Smith loves making apple pies. When it finishes, we can have some.” Applejack said as she set her oven mitts down and walked towards the redhead. 

“Well, that sounds good to me,” said Sunset as she sat next to Rainbow Dash at the table.

“How’s Jeremy?” Twilight Sparkle asked, briefly looking up from her phone. “Is he dealing with his situation well?” 

“As well as he can for being thrust into a new world and having his memories brought back to him,” replied Sunset, looking over at Twilight. 

“Good.” Twilight shifted her focus to Applejack. “Can I take a shower, AJ?” 

Applejack nodded. “Yeah, of course, sugarcube.” 

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, Twilight Sparkle had finished her shower. She was dressed back in her regular clothes when she walked back out to the kitchen. As she sat down in her chair, Applejack set the freshly baked apple pie on the table. The sweet aroma of the apples and cinnamon drifted towards her, making her mouth water as she inhaled the scent. She glanced at Sunset Shimmer, seeing that she was on her phone, busying herself. For a second, she opened her mouth, wanting to say something. But instead, she shut her mouth and looked towards the living room. Behind her, she heard the cowgirl walk, heading upstairs to take her shower. 

“Hey Rainbow Dash, what game are you playing now?” asked Twilight, turning around in her chair. 

“It’s the new Daring Do game; Racin’ Through Time - The Amulet of Ahuizotl,” replied Rainbow Dash as she paused the game. “Wanna play, Twi?” 

Twilight Sparkle stole a glance at Sunset Shimmer, seeing that she had looked up from her phone. Looking back at Rainbow Dash, she said, “Yeah, why not.” 

“Awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash, happy to finally have someone to compete with. 

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight Sparkle got up from the table, walking into the living room. As she saw her sit down on the couch, grabbing a controller from Rainbow Dash, her heart clenched. It was clear to her that Twilight, although she had forgiven her, was only willing to forgive to a point. She could see that she was pushing her back, keeping her at a safe distance. Sighing, she went back to focusing on her phone.

“So, from what I see, things between you and Twilight aren’t too great, right?” asked Rarity, pushing Sunset’s phone as she met her eyes. 

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Yeah, I thought we were doing okay. But now, it’s like she is trying to figure out what I am keeping from her. I guess it’s not enough that I admitted that I have something about me that makes it hard to talk about it.” 

Rarity pursed her lips as she looked down for a moment. “Well, dear, I don’t think that is enough. Not when she deserves the truth from her  _ best _ friend.” 

Rarity’s words stung like a thousand hot needles digging into her skin. She didn’t want them to be true. Not when it meant she was making the wrong choice. Tossing the thought around in her head, she started to wonder why she was keeping it a secret from Twilight. It wasn’t that she was trying to protect her. Her past was of no danger to Twilight. That eliminated that as a reason. So, why exactly what made her so afraid to tell her best friend about her past? Was it because she was scared? As the word  _ afraid _ crossed her mind, Sunset Shimmer shuddered. 

“You’re afraid of telling her because you don’t want to lose her,” said Sunset’s inner voice, breaking the silence in her head. 

_ “You’re right.” _ thought Sunset, her gaze drifting downwards to her phone.  _ “I am scared. No, terrified of her… reaction to it.” _

“Do you think she’ll run away from you? Or think of you as a…” Her inner voice trailed off as if the next word would break Sunset. “A monster?” 

The word made the redhead’s skin crawl. Numerous times she had the word, mostly right after the event of the Fall Formal. It seemed that everyone seized every opportunity to throw the name at her. Despite the pain which followed after someone said, she had gotten used to it. After all, she had manipulated everyone in the school to get what she wanted – to prove to her former mentor that she deserved a power that was never hers to claim. Even now, the guilt of her actions weighed on her. Though not as heavily as it once did thanks to the friendships made with the girls. The word she thought had lost its meaning due to the over repeated use, now buried itself beneath Sunset’s skin. 

_ “Don’t. Don’t say that word,” _ muttered Sunset, trying to keep the mental war in her head to herself. 

“What? Oh, you mean the word ‘monster’? Why do you hate that word so much?” asked her inner voice. 

_ “I just do,” _ replied Sunset. 

“That is not a real excuse. Tell me the real one.” Sunset’s inner voice said, pushing against Sunset’s defensive answer. 

_ “I hate it… because… I think I am still that monster.” _ replied Sunset slowly, not wanting to admit the reason to herself. 

“Well, you technically are that-” 

“Sunset? Are you still listening to me?” Rarity’s soft voice interrupted Sunset’s conscience, cutting it off before it could say anything further. 

Sunset Shimmer blinked and looked at Rarity. “What?” 

“You drifted off after I said that your admitting that you have something that is hard to talk about isn’t enough,” said Rarity as she met Sunset’s worry-filled eyes. 

“Oh, right,” said Sunset, closing her eyes as she cleared her thoughts. “Well, you do have a point. But I am so terrified of her reaction that I freeze every time I try to tell her.” 

Rarity scooted closer to Sunset Shimmer, thankful that the chairs had wheels on them. She rested her hand on her arm, hoping that it would calm her down. She could hear the distress in the redhead’s voice, which only made her worry more. It was hard to see her care for her friend, yet be tied down by a fear that kept her from freeing herself. Squeezing Sunset’s arm, she gave her a small, close-lipped smile. 

“Well, you two did manage to work on it.” Rarity glanced over at Twilight Sparkle, who was currently beating Rainbow Dash at the game. “And judging by how she is acting around you, she is trying to process what you told her.”

“You’re probably right, Rare. But it seems like Twilight wants me at a distance until she figures out my secret.” Sunset’s voice shook as if it pained her to admit what was happening out loud. 

“That is to be expected. No one likes to think someone they are close to is hiding something from them.” Rarity’s voice was calm, which was the opposite of how the words made Sunset feel as she heard them. 

“Can’t argue with that. If I were in Twilight's position, I’d probably act the same way…” said Sunset, her eyes lowering as she spoke. 

Rarity nodded. “So, what is keeping you from telling Twilight? And if I am blunt, I don’t think it is about her reaction. Not that I am saying it’s not part of it.” 

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. “I guess, I am afraid because… I… love her.” 

The words sounded foreign like they were in another language. For the first time, Sunset Shimmer had admitted her feelings aloud. It was like a weight had become lifted off her heart, as she could finally see something that had gotten hidden from her. Yet, just saying the words wasn’t enough. She needed more than that. She needed Twilight’s reciprocation of her feelings. To know that she cared for her as she did. 

“Well, if you love her, then tell her. Don’t let it be the reason you push her away,” said Rarity as she got up from the table, walking over to the fridge. “Sunset, if I were you, I would be honest with her.” 

Just as she opened the door, Applejack came down the stairs, her hair wrapped into a towel. While Rarity was rummaging through the contents of the fridge, she didn’t hear the footsteps of Applejack approaching from behind her. She grabbed a bottle of apple cider and closed the door. Seconds after she turned around, she bumped into the cowgirl, nearly spilling her drink. 

“Oh, AJ, I didn’t see you there,” said Rarity. “Sorry for almost spilling my drink on you, dear.” 

Applejack let out her usual warm chuckle. “It’s fine, Rare. It’s my fault for being so quiet. Without my boots, I become pretty dang quiet.” 

“So I see,” said Rarity as she set her drink down on the counter. “How was your shower?” 

“Good. I needed it, especially after today,” replied Applejack as she rested her hand on the fashionista’s shoulder. 

Rarity smiled to herself as the cowgirl’s strong hand rested on her shoulder. It was warm and soft against her skin. It was like she was being caressed by a warm cloud, one that she loved – a feeling she treasured right now. It took all of her willpower not to pull her friend into a passionate kiss right then and there. But somehow, she did it, though barely. Sighing, she turned around to face her. 

"Glad you enjoyed your shower," said Rarity, happy to be staring at the cowgirl's green eyes.

*** *** *** ***

At CHS, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle were sitting in the library after school. They were sitting in the back, around a circular table. While Sunset Shimmer sat on one side of the table, Twilight sat on the other. On the table sat numerous stacks of books, most of them about algebra and geometry. Twilight Sparkle grabbed another one about geometry, as Sunset Shimmer continued to work on her homework for her advanced physics class. As she flipped through the pages, she glanced up at Sunset. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep her focus on the assignment in front of her. It seemed it was much harder to focus whenever the redhead was near. 

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her paper, noticing that Twilight was staring at her. “Um, Twilight? Is everything okay?” 

Twilight Sparkle nodded, looking away from Sunset. “Yeah, I was just thinking about something…” 

“Oh.” Sunset Shimmer set her pencil down. “What were you thinking about?” 

Twilight Sparkle kept her gaze down, not wanting to look Sunset in the eye. What she was thinking about wasn’t something she wanted to share this time. Not when she was thinking about Sunset Shimmer herself. She fiddled with her pencil, trying to decide whether or not she should tell her what her thoughts were about. Saying that she was thinking about what exactly happened to her in her past wasn’t something she wanted to say to her friend. Sighing, she looked up, meeting the redhead’s gaze. 

_ “Here goes nothing…” _ thought Twilight. 

“I was thinking…about what you said yesterday. About how there was something that was hard for you to talk about,” replied Twilight, hoping her answer wouldn’t upset Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer remained quiet, unsure of what to say. She had suspected that Twilight was trying to figure out her past. Yet, to hear her admit it was something surreal. Like a long thought about a theory finally getting confirmed after years of toll and research. She sat there, her pencil sitting still on the table, her hands resting in her lap. What could she say? That it was okay to snoop around in her past without permission? She understood why Twilight was doing it, but for her, it wasn’t okay. Even with her friend’s founded reasons. Finally, after some thought, she sighed and turned to Twilight. 

“Ah. I kind of figured, especially after yesterday,” said Sunset. “But um, Twilight? Why are you snooping around in my past?” 

That was the question Twilight Sparkle was hoping that wouldn’t come up. Though, she did expect it to come up, despite her hopes of otherwise. As they both sat there in silence, she felt her unease growing. This had never happened before. She used to feel safe, even secure around Sunset Shimmer. Now though, it was like that safeness and security were gone. Replaced by nervousness and suspicion about what else the redhead might be hiding from her. 

“I was...trying to figure out what happened, that’s all,” said Twilight, deciding that honesty was a better route to take. 

Sunset Shimmer inhaled slowly, trying to keep herself calm. “Okay.” 

“Okay? That’s all you’re going to say?” asked Twilight, surprised by Sunset’s seemingly calm manner. 

“What do you want me to say, Twi? That I don’t want you snooping around?” Sunset asked, looking down at her homework. 

“Well, yeah…” Twilight Sparkle responded, sounding hesitant to speak. “That is what I was expecting. Not you being...so calm about it.” 

Sunset Shimmer looked up, her eyebrows knitted together. “It’s not like I can stop you, can I?” 

“Well, you could. But I would prefer it if you didn’t,” said Twilight. 

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Why do you want to know about my past, Twilight?” 

Twilight Sparkle bit the inside of her cheek nervously. In her mind, she wondered whether or not she should answer the question. If she did, she feared that she would push Sunset Shimmer away. She didn’t want to keep Sunset from speaking about it. Not if she wanted to keep her questions unanswered. And she had a lot of questions. But, at least for now, she decided not to ask them. 

“Because I want to know about you, Sunset,” said Twilight. “I hate that there is something that I don’t know about you. A secret…” 

“That I am keeping from you?” asked Sunset, figuring out what Twilight was getting at.

“Yeah…” Twilight Sparkle closed the geometry book that she was reading. “We better get going.” She said as she glanced at the time on her phone. 

Sunset Shimmer did the same with her physics book. “Twilight?” 

“What?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she glanced at Sunset. 

Sunset Shimmer smiled and rested her hand over Twilight’s. “I  _ will _ tell you my secret. Unless, of course, you figure it out before I get the chance.” 

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand away from Sunset. She looked away as she said, “Well, I will give you one chance to tell me.” 

Hearing that, Sunset’s heart began to race in her chest. Inside, she was starting to panic, though she kept her cool on the outside. She shoved her homework along with her physics textbook back into her bag. Just as she had finished doing that, she saw Twilight Sparkle get up and leave the library. That was all she needed to realize Twilight wasn’t going to let what happened at lunch or what she had said to console her, go. She slung her bag over her head, resting her bag on her right shoulder. Slowly, she took a deep breath and then walked out of the library. 

_ “One chance, that is all I have…” _

*** *** *** *** 

A few hours later, all the girls had gathered at Applejack’s farm. After checking in on Jeremy, they all sat in the living room. Twilight chose to sit next to Sunset Shimmer, to her surprise. Especially with what had happened at the library. Nonetheless, the redhead was happy that she could still get to be close to her friend. Though, in the back of her mind, she wondered how long it would last before it shattered. She hoped it would last a while, at least to give her a chance to come clean about her past. 

“So what are we going to do now?” asked Rainbow Dash. “It’s not like it was easy to chase Jeremy down. And we only found him because of a trail of dead kids…” 

“We can’t very well rely on the trail of dead bodies to tell us where the next animatronic is goin’ to be,” said Applejack as she adjusted her hat. 

Sunset Shimmer got up from the couch, walking towards the front door. Rainbow Dash had a point - finding the other animatronics was going to be hard, especially without a trail…of something to follow. But as Applejack had mentioned, they couldn’t just hope to find another trail of dead bodies. With two kids already dead, having more would only worsen the problem. As she thought about it, the more her frustration grew. How could they find the animatronics but not have more deaths in their wake? She didn’t know. 

Turning to her friends, Sunset Shimmer said, “So, how do we find the animatronics if we can’t have more deaths?” 

“Uh, I don’t know. Maybe, based on what Jeremy was doing, they are doing the same thing,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to help Sunset brainstorm some ideas. 

Sunset Shimmer smiled. “That’s actually not a bad idea. Though, we have to see if Jeremy agrees. These are supposedly his friends, after all.” 

With that said, all the girls got up and made their way to the barn Jeremy was hiding in. Luckily for them, the barn was hidden from view to passersby. And that Granny Smith and Applejack’s little sister, Applebloom, were gone for the day. Arriving at the barn, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle opened both doors, allowing their friends to walk in before them. Sunset walked in after Twilight did, closing the one door behind her. 

“Hey Jeremy, we may have an idea of where some of your friends could be,” Sunset Shimmer said as she sat down next to Twilight. “But we want to run it by you first.” 

Jeremy looked at Sunset, saying, “Okay, what is your idea?” 

“Well, we were thinking that if you were looking for a ‘night guard,’ then maybe your friends are doing the same,” replied Sunset. “Do you think that is something they would do?” 

Jeremy thought for a moment, resting a robotic finger on his chin. “Hmm, maybe. I can’t remember what we were all doing before my memories. Though it’s a good place to start.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Okay, that will be our plan.” 

The girls nodded in agreement. Now with a plan in mind, they walked out of the barn. Jeremy stayed in the shadows, keeping the sun from hitting his exposed metal endoskeleton. He knew that as long as he remained in the shadows, he was safe from being spotted, especially seeing as the sun was still in the afternoon sky. From the looks of it, it seemed it would be a few hours before the sun would set. So, he watched where he stepped. 

Walking up to Sunset, he said, “Where are we headed?” 

Sunset Shimmer turned to face him. “We’re heading to the police station. When we first encountered you and your friends, you were chasing a police officer. Though, you guys thought it was a night guard, like in the game.” 

“Oh, okay,” said Jeremy, still trying to recall his memory from before he remembered who he was. 

Two hours later, they finally reached the police station. As they approached the grounds, they stayed hidden behind the bushes on the other side of the street. Jeremy had remained by the forested area, not wanting to take any chances of being spotted, for the girls’ sake. Making their way closer to the building, they looked around. Police officers were sitting around outside the building. Some were sitting down and eating their lunch. A few were on their phones, messaging their friends. Yet, no sign of Jeremy’s friends, which was a troubling sign. Sunset Shimmer turned to Twilight Sparkle. 

“So much for his friends being here,” said Sunset, keeping her voice down. 

“We may not have found them here, but I may know where one may have gone,” said Twilight, pointing to a set of footprints walking into the surrounding forest. “It seems one wandered into the forest.”

Sunset Shimmer glanced in the direction of where Twilight Sparkle was pointing and saw the footprints. From a distance, one could almost write them off as usual footprints. But upon closer inspection, she could see that it was bigger, rounder than a standard footprint. It was clear that an animatronic made the depression in the dirt. Deciding that going to the police station was a bad idea, Sunset walked back to where Jeremy was still standing. The rest of the girls followed pursuit, being careful not to be spotted. They carefully pushed past the bushes, darting behind them quickly. Once they had safely reached the other side, the girls sighed with relief. 

“That was a lot of risk for nothing,” said Rarity as she pulled a branch out of her hair. 

“Not nothing, Rarity,” said Twilight Sparkle as she corrected her friend. “We found footprints leading into the forest from the police station.” 

Jeremy stood there, listening to what the girls were saying. He closed his eyes, trying to recall something from his memory. For a while, there was nothing but blackness. Then, slowly, a blurry, barely-there image started to appear. Though it was fuzzy, it began to become more apparent. He could see faint outlines of Chica, Bonnie, and Freddy all standing around him in a small circle. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to hear what was getting said. All he got was jumbled up words and static drowning them out. Just as the first image had started to clear, it changed to a different one. Now, the three animatronics were walking away from him, all heading in different directions. The image was still blurry, and the last thing he saw was Bonnie leaving. Once he was out of sight, the vision faded back to black. 

“Jeremy? Are you okay?” Sunset’s soft voice broke through the darkness. 

Opening his eyes, Jeremy saw the redhead standing in front of him. “Y-yeah, I just recovered some of my memories. Something that may help you.” 

“What is it?” asked Sunset. 

Jeremy let out something that one could call a sigh. “I saw all my friends running off in different directions after we had broken free from the gym.” 

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset, her violet eyes clouding over with worry. Without saying anything, she walked up to her. Within seconds, her hand was wrapped around the redhead’s wrist, gripping it tightly. She pulled her away from the rest of the girls and Jeremy, stopping only when a small group of trees hid them. 

“His friends have split up, Sunset.” hissed Twilight, eyeing Jeremy for a moment. 

“Yeah, I know Twi. I was there. I heard that as well,” replied Sunset, yanking her arm away from Twilight. 

“If his friends have split up, it’ll be damn near impossible to find them. Sunset, do you know the hell that is going to be in our city?” asked Twilight, her voice rising as she spoke. 

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, her mouth hanging open. It had caught her off guard to see someone she had known to be calm usually and collected become panicked and...angry. Typically, Twilight Sparkle would’ve handled the stress without breaking down, like she did when they were trapped in a mirror by Juniper Montage. Blinking, she closed her mouth and stepped closer to her friend, wanting to comfort her. 

Twilight, seeing Sunset Shimmer step closer to her, turned her back to her. She grabbed her arms, pulling her shoulders inward as she slumped them forward. Just as she did that, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. It rested a few inches above one of her scars, making it hard for her to fight pulling away. She knew it was Sunset who had rested her hand there, and she had felt her touch enough times to know that. Goosebumps appeared as she felt her squeeze her shoulder. Slowly, she turned around, forcing herself to ignore the tingling sensation on her shoulder. 

“What if we can’t find his friends, Sunset? What if more children have died? We can’t be sure they haven’t already killed more.” said Twilight, her voice shaking as she struggled to keep her mind from wandering to her scars and the fact that Sunset was  _ very _ close to them. 

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, Sunset Shimmer could hear the worry and concern in her voice. She had every right to feel that way. Jeremy had already killed two kids. Whether they had gotten killed by accident or not didn’t matter, the fact that there was two bodies the police would find and probably trace back to them eventually. And what would stop the rest of Jeremy’s friends from killing more? As the thoughts ran across her mind, Sunset Shimmer felt her hand ball into a fist. 

_ “No, there will not be any more dead children.” _ Sunset thought, squeezing her fist tighter.  _ “It won’t happen, I won’t allow it to.” _

Sunset Shimmer let her hand fall away from Twilight’s shoulder as she stepped closer to her. Meeting her eyes, she spoke. “Sparky, we’ll find his friends. And we’ll do it before anyone else gets hurt, I promise.” 

Twilight Sparkle felt herself smiling as she heard Sunset’s words. The redhead always did seem to know exactly to say to calm her down, to keep her from being consumed by fear. Gazing back at her, she saw something in her eyes. A look of compassion and kindness, but there was a gentleness there as well. Something that made her feel safe. Suddenly, she felt someone’s hand intertwined with hers. Looking down, she saw that it was Sunset’s. 

As she had grabbed Twilight Sparkle’s hand in a rush of adrenaline, she felt a tingling sensation run up her arm. Feeling a heat growing on her cheeks, she looked away. Something about Twilight made her body react in ways that no one else could do. A gentle squeeze made her glance back. She was amazed and happy to see that Twilight had stepped closer to her. As she looked at Twilight, she caught sight of their friends staring at them. Quickly, she pulled her away from Twilight’s, trying to ignore the embarrassment that was growing. 

“Um…” was all Sunset Shimmer could muster as she nervously rubbed her hand through her hair. 

“Please, don’t stop on account of us, dear.” said rarity, giving Sunset a quick wink.

When Rarity finished speaking, Sunset Shimmer felt a hand grab her own. Glancing, she saw Twilight Sparkle had clasped it and was smiling sheepishly at her. She felt her sheepish smile appear as she met Twilight’s eyes. Together, still holding hands, they walked back to the group. 

Two hours of walking around the forest, watching the sun set below the mountains, they found nothing. Several times they had gotten lost in the woods. Thankfully, they didn’t get too far from each other. That didn’t do much to help their situation, as they were now deep in a forest with barely any daylight left. It was like a big, heavy, purple animatronic rabbit had just disappeared into thin air. 

“Guys, I think we should call it a night,” said Rainbow Dash as she leaned against a tree, taking off one of her sneakers and rubbing her sore foot. 

Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to speak, there was a mechanical thumping sound approaching them. All the girls looked in the direction from which it was coming from just in time to see a purple rabbit running at them. They scattered to the sides of the trail they were on as he came closer to them. Not a second after Rainbow Dash had gotten her sneaker back on was she knocked off her feet as Bonnie ran past her. 

“Ow…” mumbled Rainbow Dash as she rubbed the back of her head where it had gotten hit with a small rock. “That fucking hurt…” 

She got up, dusting off her jeans. Pissed that an animatronic bunny had shoved her, Rainbow Dash sped off after him. After all, she didn’t want to waste a chance to capture him. 

“Hey, you!” screamed Rainbow Dash as she caught up to Bonnie. 

Bonnie turned around as he heard someone call him. As he did, he saw the rainbow-haired girl he had pushed past. Looking, he realized that she matched Foxy’s description of her entirely. Something about her felt like it was tugging at him, at his power source. Wanting to test a theory, he stepped closer. 

_ “You!” _ hissed Bonnie, a red glow emanating from his eyes. “Come...here.” 

“Um, how about I  _ don’t, _ and you chase me?” asked Rainbow Dash, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Sound good?” 

Bonnie growled, irritated by Rainbow Dash and her request. Deciding not to answer her, he started to run towards her, eyes glowing an even brighter red than before. 

“I’ll take that as a yes, then!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she started to run away from Bonnie. 

Meanwhile, back at the trail, the girls were trying to figure out why Rainbow Dash had chased after Bonnie. After all, that was unlike her, especially when it could put her in danger of being killed or endangering her friends. 

“What is Rainbow Dash up to?” asked Twilight. “Why did she go after Bonnie like that?”

Sunset Shimmer looked down at Applejack’s boots, thinking. She had a feeling she knew why Rainbow Dash had run off. Seeing Applejack’s lasso, which the cowgirl always carried with her as a good luck charm, an idea popped into her head. 

“I...think I know,” Sunset said, looking at Twilight. Turning to Applejack, she continued. ‘AJ, pull out your lasso.” 

“Why?” asked Applejack, her hand reaching down towards her lasso. 

Just as the cowgirl had asked that question, Rainbow Dash came blurring past her. Not far behind came a big, purple rabbit with red glowing eyes. The sight was enough to make Applejack’s heart race. Gulping, she stepped back as the animatronic stepped closer to them. 

“Because of that!” shouted as she pushed Twilight Sparkle out of the way. 

“Fritz…?” whispered Jeremy as he struggled to recognize his friend as he charged at them. 

Applejack readied her lasso, swinging it high above her head. Her friends had scattered to the side of the trail to avoid being stomped, allowing her easy access to “catch” Bonnie. As Bonnie got closer, she threw her lasso at him. With some fantastic luck, she managed to loop her rope around him, tightening it as she pulled against him. Using her strength, Applejack dug her heels into the ground. She could feel herself getting dragged along as the animatronic rabbit fought to free himself from the lasso. But after a few seconds of fighting, the cowgirl managed to topple Bonnie over. As his body fell over, the hard metal and plastic which he had gotten made of, hit the dirt with a loud but dull  _ thud _ . 

Bonnie glared at the girls who had managed to capture him, still struggling to get up. Laying there, it was starting to become apparent that having his arms bound wasn’t ideal. He again tried to break the ropes, but they remained tight around his body. Just as he stopped fighting them, he saw the cowgirl approaching him and bending down in front of him. 

“Dash, get over here and help me tie this blasted rabbit up!” shouted Applejack as she started to push Bonnie towards a tall oak tree. 

Rainbow Dash ran over to the cowgirl, helping her to roll the animatronic towards the tree. Once he was leaning against the tree, she took the lasso from Applejack and used her super-speed to run around the tree. With each loop around the tree, the rope tightened. After about five loops, she stopped and handed the lasso back to Applejack, who quickly tied a secure knot. 

“There, now that rabbit can’t... _ hop _ ...away,” said Rainbow Dash, attempting to make a pun, albeit not a great one. 

Turning to her friends, she saw that they weren’t amused. “Hehe, sorry. That was a lame attempt at a joke…” 

“Yeah, it was,” said Pinkie Pie, pointing out the obvious to Rainbow Dash’s annoyance. 

Meanwhile, they were unaware that there was someone else watching them from within the shadows. Not just anyone, it was an animatronic someone. Someone who wanted to know what they were up to. 

“Fritz...?” asked Jeremy as he kneeled in front of his friend. 

“Who the hell are you talking about, Foxy?” asked Bonnie, still struggling against the rope that bound him to the tree. “It’s me, Bonnie, remember?” 

Hearing that, Jeremy got up and walked away. It hurt to see that his friend didn’t seem to know him anymore. He sat down on a nearby boulder, watching as the full moon rose from behind the mountains. Closing his eyes, he rested his head in his hands as he tried not to let his disappointment overwhelm him. 

Sunset Shimmer had noticed that Jeremy walked away after talking with Fritz. She decided to follow him, wanting to make sure he was okay. As she followed him, she glanced back at her friends. For the time being, it seemed that they had Bonnie under control. Returning her attention to Jeremy, she sat next to him on the boulder. 

“Jeremy...are you okay?” asked Sunset, keeping her voice soft. 

“No, I am not, Sunset! My friend, who I have known for so long, doesn’t recognize me anymore. Me…” replied Jeremy, slamming his hook into the boulder. 

The sound of metal hitting rock made Sunset Shimmer jump as she glanced downward. Learning that Jeremy’s friend, someone who had gone through the same traumatic death as him, didn’t know him must’ve hurt. Something she hoped never to experience. Just the thought of losing her friends made her heart clench. Taking a deep breath, she rested her hand on his leg and met his gaze. 

“I promise that I will bring him back,” said Sunset. 

“How?” Jeremy looked down at the ground. “How are you going to bring him back, Sunset?” 

Sunset Shimmer sighed heavily. “If seeing your memories brought you back, then I think it could do the same for…” 

“Fritz.” finished Jeremy. 

“Yeah, Fritz.” Sunset Shimmer gave Jeremy a weak smile. “Just wait here, okay?” 

“Okay…” whispered Jeremy as Sunset got up from the boulder. 

Sunset Shimmer walked up to Bonnie, stopping when she was just a few feet from him. The creaking of Applejack’s lasso told her that it would give way if she didn’t do anything soon. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for the violent images she knew were to come. They weren’t easy to see, but she had made a promise to bring Fritz back. So, that is what she intended to do, even if it meant more scarring for herself. Kneeling, she placed her hand on Bonnie’s head. Seconds later, she felt her power take over...


	7. Night 7: Shadows Over Sunlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Please, feel free to let me know what you think of it.

Springtrap was kneeling behind a tall row of bushes, which kept him hidden. His hand was resting on a nearby tree, steadying him. It had been quite a task to find the girls. He had to trudge through several miles of thorny brush to get where they were at the police station. And that was after hours of combing the city streets trying to find them to begin with. On top of that, he had to remain hidden, which meant he had to crouch down for long periods and walk while doing so. He and his fucked up joints didn’t enjoy that, but it was well worth it. After all, they had led him to Bonnie, along with Foxy, who was now Jeremy. 

“What the hell is going over there?” hissed Springtrap, trying to keep his voice low. 

Just as he said that he saw Bonnie show up just as the rainbow-haired nuisance ran past her friends. Springtrap watched the events transpire, hoping that the dumb bunny that was a purple imitation of him would kill them. But instead of seeing the animatronic ripping the girls’ heads off, he saw one of the girls that were wearing a stetson cowgirl hat pull out what he figured was a lasso. 

“What the fuck?! That is one prepared cowgirl, but she is no match for an animatronic.” Springtrap quietly chuckled. “This will be fun…”

Yet, there was no ripping of heads or blood-curdling screams echoing in the forest. The only sound that echoed in the woods was the loud  _ thud  _ of Bonnie’s body hitting the dirt. Springtrap growled, unconsciously digging his fingers into the bark of the tree. When the sound of bark creaking and cracking reached his ears, he stopped and pulled his hand away from the tree. Things were clearly not going his way, despite his attempts to. But what was helping these girls defeat his plans? It wasn’t Jeremy. He was standing there, doing nothing but staring at the scene happening in front of him.

“Damnit! How are these girls able to defeat an animatronic that had gotten created out of metal?” Springtrap leaned forward, wanting to figure out how the girls were able to restrain Bonnie. 

“Dash, get over here and help me tie this blasted rabbit up!” shouted the cowgirl as he watched her push Bonnie towards an oak tree. 

“Tie him up? What are you fucking idiots up to?” Springtrap growled in frustration. “These girls are  _ really _ starting to become a pain in the ass. And that is saying something considering I have a metal pole up my own ass right now.” 

He walked away from the bushes, heading towards a large boulder. He watched his footing, not wanting to step on a stray twig. Drawing any attention to himself was not something he planned on doing. Not when he was so close to figuring out what was happening. Just as he hid behind it, he heard the forest around him fall silent as though everything in life had suddenly stopped. Even the sounds of life had ended. No crickets were chirping, no wind rustling the leaves. Just eerie and still silence. That prompted him to peek out from behind the boulder. 

“What the fuck? What the hell happened to everyone?” whispered Springtrap as he stared at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. 

He watched as Sunset Shimmer kneeled in front of Bonnie. That confused him. What was she doing kneeling in front of the animatronic? He continued to watch, hoping to get some answers. As she placed her hand on his head, that only furthered his confusion. Deciding he wanted to know what was going on, he stepped closer to the girls, still staying in the shadows. Glancing over at Jeremy, he saw that he was sitting on a boulder. 

“Well, that’s an odd fucking sight to see,” said Springtrap, chuckling to himself. 

*** *** *** ***

_ As the image became more evident, Sunset Shimmer saw Jeremy getting chased by his friend. As Jeremy rounded a corner, Fritz followed him. But as he tried to turn the edge of the table, his foot got caught on a chair leg. Seconds later, Fritz found himself on the ground with his knee throbbing. As he sat up, he saw that he hit his knee against the floor.  _

_ “Ow!” exclaimed Fritz as he rubbed his knee.  _

_ He looked up to see Jeremy approaching him, saying, “Are you okay?”  _

_ Fritz gave his friend a devilish smile. “Yeah, and you’re it now!”  _

_ As he shouted, he got up and started to run away. Distancing himself from Jeremy, he heard him groan. His knee still throbbed dully, but he ignored it. With every second that passed, it weakened, allowing him to ignore it even more. After a while of playing tag and taking turns being it, he saw that Jeremy’s cake was getting brought out. That made him stop the game and join his friend at the table. When he saw the cake, he recognized the characters on the top. Seeing Bonnie, he hoped that his piece would contain part of his body.  _

_ “Happy Birthday, Jeremy!” said Freddy in his usual cheerful robotic voice.  _

_ As Freddy sat down the cake, Fritz looked down at the cake. The smell of chocolate in which the cake had gotten made of wafted towards him. It was intense, making his mouth water. He was surprised to see the candles were already on the cake. Usually, his mother always put candles on in front of him, but he figured that it was just his mother’s way of doing things. He came from a lower-income family, meaning having his birthdays at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was out of the question. So, he was excited when Jeremy had invited him to his birthday party.  _

_ Once the cake was on the table, the rest of Freddy’s friends joined him around the table. Being so close to the birthday boy, Fritz got a front-row seat as the characters surrounded him. Looking behind him, he saw that Bonnie had stood behind him. Glancing behind the animatronic rabbit, Fritz saw something...golden. Looking more closely, he saw that it was someone dressed in a Golden Freddy costume. But why? That animatronic had gotten shut down due to malfunctions in its hardware. Before he could follow that thought further, his attention had gotten drawn away as Jeremy’s mother started to light the candles on the cake. Something made him look back, but to his shock, he found that the figure was gone.  _

_ “...Happy Birthday to you!” finished Chica.  _

_ Fritz watched as Jeremy leaned forward, readying himself to blow out his candles. Just as his friend was about to blow outwards, he saw a shiny, silver hook rest on his shoulder. Glancing upwards, Fritz saw that Foxy had stepped closer to them. Being closer to the animatronic fox, he found it to be kind of creepy.  _

“Funny how distance changes Foxy’s creepiness factor…”  _ thought Fritz.  _

_ “Don’t forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy,” said Foxy, his pirate accent clear.  _

_ He watched as Jeremy closed his eyes, making his wish as Foxy had instructed him to. Sitting back, he allowed him to blow out his candles. In one breath, Jeremy managed to blow out all his candles. Once they were all removed, the cake-cutting began. Fritz was second to receiving his piece of cake, with his friend being first as it was his birthday. An hour later, he had finished his piece of cake. Finishing off the last of his cake, Fritz threw away his plate. Again, standing near where the trash cans were, he saw the same figure that was wearing a Golden Freddy suit. But just as he was about to investigate the strange person, a voice caught his attention.  _

_ “Hey Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?” asked Jeremy as he motioned for him to follow him.  _

_ Fritz nodded. When he turned back to look at the figure, he saw that he had disappeared...again.  _

“What the-? Am I starting to see things?”  _ thought Fritz.  _ “Maybe I outta lay off the cake for a while…”

_ But the fact that he saw the same figure twice was confusing. What was more disconcerting was the fact that each time he looked away and then looked back, the person was gone. He wanted to ponder it more, but he decided to enjoy the show. So, rather than focusing on a mysterious person, he walked over to where Jeremy was now sitting down. It was next to Pirate Cove unsurprisingly. He knew that Foxy was Jeremy’s favorite character. Though he didn’t mind the pirate, his favorite character was Bonnie. In part, because he wanted to be a guitar player.  _

_ As the crowd of kids gathered around him and Jeremy, his excitement grew. He had seen commercials for the show that had always gotten held at the restaurant, but life circumstances kept him from seeing it. Now, here he was sitting in front of the stage with his best friend. The lights dimmed as the main characters made their way to the stage.  _

_ “Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who’s ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?” asked Foxy as he waved his hook in front of his face.  _

_ “We are!” shouted Fritz as he joined Jeremy in shouting with the chorus of kids.  _

_ Foxy lifted his hook and said, “Well, good. Welcome to the Pirate’s Cove Treasure Hunt!”  _

_ As the show went on, he watched as each scene played out, singing along to every song that accompanied them. But as the second to last song was coming to an end, he saw the Golden Freddy costume once more. The person was standing behind the stage, the shadows keeping him hidden from almost everybody’s view. Furrowing his eyebrows, he wondered what was going on. This was Fritz's third time seeing the figure tonight.  _

_ “Hey, you’re missing the best song,” Fritz heard Jeremy say as he felt a punch on his forearm.  _

_ He looked at Jeremy, rubbing his now throbbing arm. “Okay, but you didn’t have to hit me that hard.”  _

_ Just as the last song began to play, he realized that he needed to go to the bathroom. Carefully and quietly, he got up and made his way out of the thick crowd of kids. Once he was free of the kids, he silently made his way to the boy’s bathroom. He walked past a dark hallway where the light fixtures didn’t seem to work. The wallpaper and paint seemed different from the rest of the building, older and covered in dirt. As he looked down the hallway, he saw a familiar gold color at the end of it. Seeing that, he walked back to the hall, hoping to get a better look at the mysterious person. Again, like the last two times, the Golden Freddy costume disappeared. Shrugging it off, he continued to walk to the bathroom. _

_ After he had relieved himself, he walked out of the stall, heading towards the sink. He turned on the water, washing his hands. Just as he walked towards the paper towel holder, the figure he had seen earlier walked in, leaning against the wall. _

_ “Hello… Fritz.” The figure slowly said as if to add creepiness to the already creepy sensation.  _

_ Fritz dropped the paper towel that was in his hand. When the person tried to step closer to him, he stepped back, keeping the distance between them. Fritz looked around the bathroom, realizing that he was alone in the vacant space. As that realization dawned on him, Fritz heard the sound of a lock clicking shut. Gulping, Fritz looked at the mysterious person to see their gloved hand on the lock.  _

_ “H-how do you kn-know my name?” asked Fritz, trying to seem braver than he was.  _

_ The figure let out a muffled chuckle, the sound echoing eerily against the bathroom walls. Slowly, they approached him, kneeling on one knee. Lifting their head, they rested their hand on Fritz’s shoulder, gripping it tightly.  _

_ “I have heard your name spoken.” replied the figure. “Is this your first time here?”  _

_ Fritz nodded, the tight grip on his shoulder making him sweat profusely. “Wh-what do you want with me?” asked Fritz, eyeing the bathroom door.  _

_ Realizing what Fritz was planning on doing, the person stepped in front of the door. “And... where do you think you are going, mister?”  _

_ “Uh, back to Jeremy’s party? My friends will be wondering why I haven’t come back,” answered Fritz, hoping that he had said the right answer.  _

_ Instead of saying something, the person just removed the head of the Golden Freddy costume. A gasp slipped from Fritz’s lips as he finally saw the figure’s face. He could see some stubble coating the person’s upper lip and jawline. Their hair was in a tangled mess like they hadn’t seen a mirror for weeks. His gaze drifted downward as he caught sight of a dark purple security suit. Looking at the shirt, he spotted a gold-colored badge that had gotten pinned to the shirt. Squinting, he attempted to read the name on the tag. _

_ “William Aft-”  _

_ “Ah, no reading that, kid,” said William, covering the tag with his hand. “I can’t have you knowing who I am. It would ruin the fun…”  _

_ “Then what do I call you?” asked Fritz, stepping back from the strange person, his hand gripping the sink counter.  _

_ The figure seemed to sense his growing fear and said, “If you want, you may call the Purple Guy, okay?”  _

_ Fritz only managed to nod in response.  _

_ “Now that we have gotten the introductions out of the way, want to see something cool?” asked the Purple Guy.  _

_ As Fritz watched the Purple Guy place the Golden Freddy head back on, he saw him open the door. Watching the door open, he saw his chance to get away. Taking it, Fritz bolted towards the door, pushing past the Purple Guy. He managed to make his way out the door, missing the growl that echoed loudly inside the bathroom. Just as he was about to turn the corner leading back to where his friends were, a hand quickly covered his mouth.  _

_ “That… was a big mistake.” hissed the Purple Guy, a barely controlled anger in his voice.  _

_ Fritz felt his body getting pulled away from the corner as the Purple Guy walked away from the crowds. As he struggled against the tight grip holding him back, he saw his mother walk up to the hallway. Fritz could see her worried expression as she scanned the hall. Sadly, he knew that she couldn’t see him with the shadows around him. Deep down, he wanted to scream out to her. But the hand covering his mouth kept him from doing so.  _

“Mommy...I am here…”  _ thought Fritz as he watched her shadow shrink as he continued to get pulled away.  _ “Please… mommy…” 

_ Those were his last thoughts as his mother turned around and walked away from the hallway. Still being pulled away, he started to cry. To see that his mother had missed the one chance to save him nearly destroyed him. He wanted to run into her arms again. Yet, all he could do was allow himself to be pulled away from safety.  _

_ A few minutes later, he found himself tossed against a wall that had become covered in a thick layer of mold. So thick that it made it impossible to see the design of the wallpaper beneath the greenish mold. He looked around at his new surroundings, seeing old posters littered all over the floor and coating all the walls. There was a picture of someone on the front, but he couldn’t make out any details or features. Above him were several old, flickering yellow lights that covered the hallway he had gotten dragged down. It was hard to see anything in front of him, let alone several feet away. But through the dimmed lights, he managed to make out two hallways diverging in two different directions, each heading away from him. They, too, were also lined with the same yellowed, flickering lights. Though, with each hallway, fewer lights were working than the one hall he was currently standing in. One was going towards the left, and the other was going to the right. _

_ “Wh-where are we…?” asked Fritz, eyeing the Purple Guy.  _

_ The Purple Guy walked over to a door that a sign on it. In the yellowed light, Fritz made out the word ‘Playroom’ on it. As his gaze drifted downwards, he that the Purple Guy’s hand rested on the doorknob. _

_ “This is where we are going. I have an extraordinary surprise for you. But…I’ll need you to wait in there for me.” said the Purple Guy.  _

_ Reluctantly, Fritz pushed his body off the mold-covered wall, some of the mold crumbling off the wall in the process. With a twist of the doorknob, the door squeaked up and let in what little light illuminated the hallway. With the bit of light he had, he saw the Golden Freddy animatronic that had gotten put out of use. Cautiously, he took a step forward, walking into the room. Once he was standing on the first step, he heard the door slam shut, followed by the sound of a lock clicking into place.  _

“Please let my friends be okay...” _ thought Fritz as he made his way deeper into the room.  _

_ “Fritz?” asked two voices coming from the darkness in the room.  _

_ “W-who’s there?” asked Fritz, his voice trembling as he wondered who was speaking to him. _

_ “It’s us, you dummy.” said a voice he recognized as Susie’s just before he felt a slap against his arm.  _

_ Rubbing his arm, Fritz said, “Ow. That is definitely you, Susie. No one else hits me that hard.”  _

_ “And it’s me, Gabriel,” Gabriel said, joining the conversation with Susie.  _

_ “How did you guys get here?” asked Fritz, still rubbing his now stinging arm. _

_ He heard one of his friends let out a huff. “Well, I didn’t get here by being tricked with the promise of a free pizza.”  _

_ “Hey! I was hungry.” Fritz heard Gabriel shout in his defense.  _

_ Deciding that the building tension was going to lead to an argument, Fritz stood between his two friends. Placing his hands on their shoulders, he said, “Okay, so I know Gabriel got tricked by his stomach. But how did you get tricked, Susie?”  _

_ There was silence for a moment before he heard Susie say, “I was lured in because of a...free makeup kit. One that was made especially for me.”  _

_ Fritz raised an eyebrow as he heard Susie’s excuse for being trapped. “Really, Susie? A  _ free _ makeup kit?”  _

_ “What?! I like wearing makeup.” Fritz felt Susie yank her shoulder away, turning her back to him. _

_ Fritz sighed. “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Susie.” As he looked around, he noticed that someone was missing from amongst them. “Wait, where’s Jeremy?”  _

_ Just as he uttered those words, the door leading to the room opened again. Blinking, he held up his hand to block his eyes from the sudden burst of light that came in. He could see the Purple Guy with another kid by his side. Looking closer, he recognized the kid as his friend, Jeremy. He had the same height and the same wavy hair that Jeremy had. As he continued watching, he saw his friend hesitate before walking into the room. A few seconds later, the door had slammed shut behind Jeremy and was once again locked.  _

_ “Hey! What are you doing?” He heard Jeremy scream at the now-closed door.  _

_ Fritz turned his attention back to the Golden Freddy animatronic, something pulling at him to do so. It was now that he had begun to notice the putrid smell of decaying flesh that was emanating from it. As he, Susie, and Gabriel started to stare at it, he began to wonder why it smelled so awful. It wasn’t overwhelming, not yet anyway. But a sickening feeling told him that if the animatronic were disturbed, it would make the smell increase in its intensity. He continued watching with wide eyes as Jeremy approached the old animatronic. His mind screamed at his friend to not touch the animatronic, to not disturb it. Yet, he watched as he tapped the plastic on it, making the animatronic sit forward as it opened up.  _

_ As the Golden Freddy moved and opened up, the scent of decaying flesh wafted towards him. Fritz covered his nose and mouth with his shirt in an attempt to keep the smell from burning his throat. But it didn’t do much to keep the scent from making its way down his throat. His throat burned with each breath he inhaled into his lungs. The smell started to affect his stomach, making him grow nauseous. Glancing at the animatronic, he saw there was a body inside, the reason for the stench. Looking at the corpse, he recognized it barely as a girl that had attended his school before she went missing.  _

_ From where he was standing, he couldn’t see much of her body. But what he saw made him wish he hadn’t looked. He saw the barely visible forms of thousands of white maggots squirming around in and on what had gotten left of the corpse. But what was worse than the smell which filled the room was the sound. The sizzling-like sound of the larvae as they moved around echoed in the room. Amidst the room, he heard the sound of one of his friend’s vomiting. Listening to that only made his own urge to vomit grow stronger. It was almost near impossible to resist.  _

_ “Jeremy!” Fritz heard Susie scream after a few seconds. “What are you doing here?”  _

_ “I was looking for you,” responded Jeremy, making Fritz look at him.  _

_ In the dark, he could somewhat make out the two shadows of Jeremy and Susie as they hugged each other. “Why did you guys get trapped in here?” He heard Jeremy ask after breaking off the hug.  _

_ Walking towards the wall to lean against it, Fritz heard Susie explain how they all had gotten trapped in the room. Bracing himself against the wall, he clutched his stomach as he struggled to keep the cake and pizza down. But the overwhelming scent of old flesh rotting away was making it hard to fight back. And the sight of a dead body didn’t help matters either.  _

“Why did you have to touch that, Jer? Why…” _ thought Fritz as he felt a bit of his bile, making its way up to his throat, burning it in the process.  _

_ A few hours later, he heard the sound of the door opening, making him open his eyes. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the yellowish light behind him, was the Purple Guy. The light stung his eyes, making him squint. Yet, the darkness seemed to enhance his hearing. With every step that the figure took down the stairs, there was an accompanying creak.  _

_ “Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready...to die?” asked the Purple Guy.  _

_ Fritz and his friends huddled close together as he watched the Purple Guy approach them. As he watched him move toward Jeremy, he saw his friend trying to get away. But Fritz could see it was in vain. As he saw the Purple Guy grab Jeremy’s arm, he felt him getting pulled away seconds later. He pulled his knees up to his chest as he watched his friend helplessly be dragged up the stairs and out of the room. Seeing his friend getting dragged away, Fritz had a sinking feeling that washed over him. A suspicion that told him that he had just witnessed his friend’s last moment. _

_ An hour had passed, and the room was growing colder with each minute. Fritz and his friends had broken the group huddle a half-hour after Jeremy had left. It wasn’t like their cluster was going to do any good to bring back Jeremy. After they had broken off, he had chosen to huddle in a corner as far from the dead body as it could be. He didn’t care where his friends had gone into the room. The only thing that was on his mind was the thought that he was next to die.  _

_ He got his answer an hour later when the door opened again. When he saw the light filter into the room, he looked up from his huddled position. The sound of creaking footsteps made him shake every time he heard them. As he listened to the Purple Guy walk up to him, he closed his eyes, knowing what was to come. Feeling the person’s hand grab his arm and pull him up off the floor, he trembled even more. Yet, Fritz started to walk as the Purple Guy left the room, his arm still in his tight grip. Behind him, he heard the door close.  _

“Goodbye, Susie. Gabriel…” _ thought Fritz, stealing one last glance behind him, looking at the door.  _

_ He felt the Purple Guy let go of his arm and say, “Come on, you little fucker. Walk.”  _

_ Walking weakly, Fritz found that he was getting dragged to a brightly lit room. As he had gotten tossed into the room, he squinted as the light hit his eyes. Inside, Fritz saw the whole place had gotten plastered with plastic. Every step he took made the plastic crinkle underneath his feet. Fritz accidentally bumped into one of the tables, sending a row of chainsaws which varied in size, toppling over like dominos. Spinning around, he saw that Purple Guy was walking past a bloodied ax and sledgehammer, which sat on a separate table from the rest of the non-bloodied tools.  _

_ “Wh-where’s Jeremy?” Fritz asked, his voice squeaking as he spoke.  _

_ The Purple Guy let out a chuckle as Fritz saw him remove the costume’s head. “He’s dead. Mashed into Foxy.” Fritz watched as he ran his finger across the blade of the ax, coating the tip of the costume’s glove with his friend’s blood. “Oh, that was fun to watch as the wires and beams ripped him to pieces…”  _

_ He gulped when he saw the figure eyeing a machete that was sitting on a table next to him. As he saw him pick it up, he saw a sinister smile appear on his face. It was so evil, like a demented clown that was enjoying the torture he was imposing. The dark glimmer in his eyes only outmatched the evil from his smile. It was like Fritz was staring the devil right in the eye.  _

_ “Oh, kid…” Fritz could hear the enjoyment in the Purple Guy’s voice. “I have something so awesome planned just for you…”  _

_ As Fritz saw the blade of machete glinting in the light, he stepped back. But he tripped over his own feet, causing him to lean against a table full of axes. Unfortunately, as Fritz pushed against the plastic table, Fritz triggered a trap that the Purple Guy had set up. Just as he heard a  _ click  _ sound from behind him, Fritz felt the blade of an ax swing into his abdomen. With the blade slicing deep into his skin, cutting some of his intestinal tract in the process, Fritz felt a warm liquid pour down his shirt. A scream escaped past his lips as he felt a wave of pain wash over him.  _

_ He looked down, seeing the edge of the ax buried deep into him. Gingerly, he lifted a hand to the ax, pulling it out from his skin. Once the blade was free, some of his intestinal tract fell out of the wound, dangling in front of him. His arm was shaking as he held onto the ax, watching the blood now pour freely from his open wound. It looked like a river of red as it streamed down his shirt and pants. The ax slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a  _ clang.  _ Glancing up, he saw the person giving him a pleased grin.  _

_ “Oh, I am so happy that it worked.” Fritz was disturbed as he heard the glee in the Purple Guy’s voice. “That was a motherfucker to set up.”  _

_ Fritz coughed, spitting out his own blood in the process. He could taste the iron of his blood as it coated his mouth. The pain of the cut in his abdomen made him grow weak as his legs struggled to keep him standing. He reached a hand down to his injury, coating it in the red liquid, which had started to pour at a quicker pace. He tried to ignore the feeling of his warm intestines as they rested in his hands, but he couldn’t ignore the feel of them throbbing with every beat of his heart. His vision started to become a bit hazy as he stood there, still leaning against the table.  _

_ “Well, thanks a bunch Fritz. Now I know that trap works.” Fritz watched as the Purple Guy picked up the ax, sniffing the blood as he did so. “Tell you what, seeing as you helped me with the trap, I will make sure your body goes into Bonnie. That way, you get to hang out with him every day. Sound fun, you little fucker?”  _

_ Fritz managed to cough out a weak, ‘No…” before he collapsed to the floor.  _

_ With his fading vision, Fritz watched as the Purple Guy stood over his collapsed body. His eyes widened as he saw the machete swing downward, aiming for his arm. As the blade sliced through his skin and muscle, hitting the bone, Fritz felt a blood-curdling scream erupt from his throat. He felt the machete being pulled from his arm, getting ready for another blow. With the second blow, he felt his bone shatter and break, causing the blade to slice through the rest of his arm.  _

_ Fritz went into shock soon after that blow. Combined with the large amount of blood he had lost, Fritz had gone unconscious. But Fritz was unconscious for just a few seconds as he died soon after. Now a ghost, Fritz stood over his body watching the Purple Guy as he hacked off his other arm. Fritz looked away as he heard a second sickening  _ crack  _ of his bone. When he opened his eyes, Fritz saw the pool of blood around his body had grown in size.  _

_ “Whew, that was harder than I expected.” Fritz watched as the figure checked his pulse. “Oh fuck, he died on me. Well, I am still shoving his body into the blasted bunny.”  _

_ Following the Purple Guy, Fritz saw him carrying his corpse over his shoulder. The sight was disturbing enough to see, but to see his body without any arms was worse. He watched as the back of Bonnie was opened and prepped for his body. While he waited, he glanced over at Foxy. As he looked, he saw fresh blood pouring out from the seams of the animatronic. Gasping, he covered his mouth in disgust. ‘ _

“I was right…” _ thought Fritz as he returned his attention to his own body.  _

_ Fritz felt his spirit being pulled towards Bonnie as his body was getting placed inside of the animatronic. As he became trapped inside, his soul rested in his body. Just as Fritz had settled into his body somewhat, he saw his arms carelessly shoved into the bottom of Bonnie, the jagged-edged gears ripping them apart in the process. Being pushed against the apparatus, Fritz watched as his arms became shredded to a pulp that looked oddly similar to hamburger meat. There were bits of muscle, tissue, and bone that had shattered and ripped apart, making what blood remained in his arms spill out. That elicited a squishing-like sound, similar to if someone squished slime in their hands. If Fritz were still alive, he would’ve vomited right then. After that, he heard the gears and metal bars creak as they began to move back into their original positions.  _

_ “Oh no…” He muttered as he realized what was coming.  _

_ Oddly, Fritz thought he could feel the pain of his ribs being cracked and crushed while three metal bars shoved themselves into the sides of his chest. With a loud  _ crunch _ , he felt the bars rip past his skin and muscle, making more blood pour out from his body. Looking down, Fritz saw some of the bars had become coated in bits of torn flesh and tissue which had gotten pushed from his body. Before he could register the damage that had gotten caused to his chest, he heard his spine break in half, like a thin twig when someone stepped on it.  _

_ Seconds after that, he heard a click, click, click sound as Bonnie’s face started to return to its original position. He looked up just in time to see his skull getting caved in. More blood poured out of the new wounds that were getting formed. With every tooth that fell down Bonnie’s body, he heard a clinking sound accompanying it. His attention had gotten taken away as he saw his skin getting pulled apart, exposing the muscle beneath it. Blood trickled down as the metal bars dug themselves deeper into his body. For a moment, he thought he could feel them as they ripped through his muscles. But the feeling was gone as quickly as it came.  _

_ Looking down, he saw several gears push themselves into his legs, ripping his skin apart as a sharper would to pencils. As pieces of his skin fell off, he saw what was left of his blood leak out of his body through the new injuries. With the gears pushing their way deeper into his soft tissue and muscle, they became lubricated with his blood, like it was oil. As he watched his body being ripped and stabbed, he had a singular thought running through his head.  _

“I miss you, mommy. I love you…”

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer let her hand slide down the front of Bonnie’s face, a distant look in her eyes. As she stood up from her kneeling position, she noticed that her legs shook beneath her. It felt like they had turned to jello as she struggled to make her way back towards Jeremy. Her mind was still replaying the graphic images of Fritz dying as she continued walking. Like Jeremy’s before him, they haunted Sunset Shimmer. Even the sounds of bones cracking and blood dripping onto the plastic echoed in her ears. Unfortunately, with her being distracted, she tripped over her own feet. 

“Ow…” mumbled Sunset Shimmer as the fall finally brought her back to reality. 

As she looked down at her own hands, she noticed that her skin was pale and clammy. Closing her eyes, she still could see the images of Fritz’s memories playing. But she shook her head, clearing them away as she didn’t want to deal with them anymore. Just as she had managed to shove the images aside, she heard someone running behind her. 

“Sunset! Are you okay?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she raced over to Sunset’s side. 

Yet, in Twilight’s hurry to be at the redhead’s side, her hand accidentally brushed against Sunset’s scars. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize that until Sunset Shimmer had jumped and pulled away from her. Looking down at her own hand, she sighed. Somehow, even when she tried to be careful, she still messed up. Despite her attempts to not let it get to her, she always felt hurt by the redhead jumping back from her. 

_ “I did it again…”  _ thought Twilight Sparkle as she stood up. 

Deciding that she needed to give Sunset Shimmer her space, she walked away, gripping her arm. That allowed Applejack and Rarity to approach her. She watched them as she tried to ignore her building guilt. Seeing Sunset react the same way she had at lunch made Twilight harden her resolve to figure out what her friend was hiding from her. 

“Sunset, dear, do you want to talk to us about it?” asked Rarity as she and Applejack kneeled in front of Sunset. 

“I would really rather not,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked at Rarity. “I don’t want to relive that again…”

Applejack sighed as she held out a hand for Sunset. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again.” 

“But there were two other kids with them,” Sunset said as she grabbed Applejack’s hand. “Their names were Susie and Gabriel. And that means that they are in the other animatronics. Just as trapped as Fritz and Jeremy were before we found them.” 

Jeremy, who had made his way over to Bonnie after Sunset Shimmer had tripped, stood next to his friend. As Applejack’s lasso snapped, freeing his friend, he stood back. He hoped that having Sunset see his memories had brought back Fritz. The thought of being alone in a strange world knowing that his friends no longer recognized him, hurt. With a hopeful glint in his eyes, he tried to see if Fritz was there. 

“Fritz…? Do you know me?” asked Jeremy, sounding hopeful. 

The rabbit animatronic looked directly at Jeremy. “J-J-Jeremy?” Fritz asked, revealing that Sunset’s plan had worked. 

“Yes, it’s me, Jeremy, Fritz,” said Jeremy, relief, and happiness in his voice. 

Just as Jeremy was about to run up to his friend, he saw Twilight Sparkle had walked away from Sunset Shimmer. That drew his attention to the redhead. What had happened between her and her friend? Were they all alright? Glancing at Twilight, it didn’t seem that everything was okay. But he decided it was best not to poke around in something that was not his business. Instead, he walked up to the redhead, wanting to thank her for bringing his friend back. 

“Sunset…” Sunset Shimmer turned around to face Jeremy as he walked up to her. “Thank you for bringing Fritz back.” 

Sunset’s gaze slowly drifted to Fritz, who was now using the tree to help him stand up. Doing so, she saw him give her a small wave. That small gesture seemed to make the images and sounds in her head ease up. Somehow, that made the memories not seem as violent and disturbing. But it did nothing to lessen the sadness as she realized that he was a sweet kid who ended being brutally murdered by a madman — a crazy man. 

“Yeah, thank you. Though, I am sorry you had to see....my memories…” said Fritz, knowing that she had also seen his horrific death. “I know that can’t have been easy for you.” 

“No, it wasn’t.” Sunset Shimmer managed to give him a weak smile. “But welcome back, Fritz.” 

Sunset Shimmer shifted her focus from Fritz to Twilight Sparkle as she saw her sitting on a nearby boulder. Using what strength she could muster, she made her way over to her. She knew that her knee-jerk reaction of pulling away when Twilight had touched her scars had hurt her. She hadn’t meant for that to happen. It was just an involuntary reaction to being touched there. Yet, some part of her wanted to fight that instinct. To allow Twilight to feel the rough scars, letting her gentle touch wash away the shame she felt every time she saw them glaring back at her in the mirror. 

“Hey, Sparky,” said Sunset, sitting on the boulder next to Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle felt Sunset Shimmer grab her hand as she sat down. She wanted to hold it back, badly. Though, she fought the urge and yanked her hand away. Even then, it hurt to have to do that to Sunset, especially when she felt her reach out again towards her. But Twilight's resolve to make Sunset admit the truth was stronger than her heart’s feelings for the beautiful redhead. 

“Don’t, Sunset. I don’t want to touch you. I guess…” Twilight bit her lip before she continued. “You lied to me at the gym. I really thought you had gotten over whatever made you react so badly at lunch.” 

“Twilight...I-” 

“No, Sunset! I don’t want to hear it. I touch you, and you flinch like I am hurting you. Like I am some sort of monster for wanting to help you. I am done feeling like you trust me when you clearly don’t.” Twilight Sparkle shouted at Sunset, her eyes narrowing as she glared at her. 

“I-I’m sorry, Twi.” Sunset Shimmer struggled to speak as she felt a wave of tears ready to unleash themselves. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

“Yeah, well, try telling me the truth, then apologize,” said Twilight Sparkle as she got up from the boulder and turned back to the redhead. “I want to be alone for now…” 

All Sunset Shimmer could do was sit on the boulder as she watched her friend walk away from her. She had tried not to flinch as she heard Twilight mention the word ‘monster.’ To know that she had made her feel like that, it dug into her skin. The last thing she wanted to do was make her feel like she was a monster. In truth, Twilight’s made her feel like the monster because she had hidden her past from her. A small part of her wanted to go after her to apologize for her reaction. But something told her it was best to leave her alone and not make the situation worse. 

_ “I can’t believe I fucked up...again…” _ thought Sunset. 

“Big time.” said her inner voice, rubbing the fact she had made another mistake in her face. 

Sighing, Sunset Shimmer made her way over to where the rest of the girls were, saying, “What do we do now?” 

*** *** *** ***

Springtrap watched as Sunset Shimmer walked back to her friends. He had been quietly following the events unfolding in front of him. It had been strange to see a girl kneeling with her hand on Bonnie’s head. To add more to that, he had noticed that her eyes had gone white like she had gotten possessed. That made him wonder what she was doing. But he got his answer when he realized that Jeremy was talking to Fritz. 

“It’s like that stupid redheaded bitch is bringing the children back. They go from rampaging killer animatronics to their usual selves before I had killed them…” Springtrap said under his breath as he turned his back to the girls. 

He started to walk back to the abandoned electrical building. With the new information about what the girls were up to, he had to make a scheme to stop them. If they succeeded in bringing all the children back, that would spell his doom. Not to mention unraveling all the plans he had made to rid himself of the children. They had started to become a severe nuisance to him. 

“Of course, those bitchy ass high school girls have powers of some kind.” hissed Springtrap as he kicked a rock, sending it flying into a nearby tree. 

Springtrap continued walking away, leaving the path and the girls behind him. Besides, he had plans to make. And a puppet to use to his advantage. 

He chuckled to himself. “I will make those girls see that they chose the wrong fucking children to help…” 

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, back on the trail, Applejack was trying to help her friends. She could see that the night and day’s events had taken their toll. Rainbow Dash was leaning against a tree, almost falling asleep, while Pinkie Pie had taken it upon herself to bombard Fritz with all sorts of wacky questions. The poor kid looked like he was facing a hyperactive dog and wasn’t sure what to do. Sunset, meanwhile, was still standing against a tree, her arms across her chest. She hadn’t spoken much since Twilight Sparkle had yelled at her. Rarity was busy making sure there were no branches or leaves in her hair, which made Applejack chuckle. Even at the most inopportune times, she could still be worried about looking her best. The only one who seemed not to be bothered by the events was Fluttershy, who was busy having a conversation with a local raccoon family. The cowgirl sighed and removed her hat, wiping off the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead. 

“How ‘bout we head back to my place? I think we all need some rest after today’s events,” said Applejack as she looked at her friends’ weary expressions. 

The cowgirl turned to her party friend, saying, “Pinkie Pie, can you go find Twilight and let her know that we’re leavin’?”

“Okie dokie,” said Pinkie Pie as she turned her attention from bombarding Fritz with questions to finding Twilight. 

While Pinkie Pie walked up to where Twilight Sparkle was currently sitting, Fluttershy said goodbye to the raccoon family. As she watched her new furry friends dash off back to their home, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little as she let out a small  _ eek _ of surprise, turning to see that it was Applejack who was standing next to her. Placing a hand over her heart, she took a sigh of relief. 

“Oh, it’s just you, AJ,” said Fluttershy, trying to calm her racing heart. 

“Sorry for spookin’ you, Shy.” Applejack pulled her hand off her shoulder. “I just wanted to ask you if you know what was going on with Sunset.” 

Fluttershy looked at Sunset Shimmer, noticing that their friend seemed rather closed off. “I think she is upset about what happened with Twilight.” 

Just as Applejack went to say something, she saw Pinkie Pie walk by with Twilight Sparkle in pursuit. Looking at Sunset, she noticed that she had shrunk away as Twilight got closer to her. Even Twilight seemed to shrink away as well. It was clear to her that what happened earlier had caused some problems. And she was sure of why Sunset Shimmer had upset Twilight. But just as she was about to talk some sense into the redhead, she felt a hand grab her arm. 

“Um, I think it's best if we leave her alone for now,” said Fluttershy, knowing what Applejack was up to. “She seems like she just wants some space.” 

“Okay, I will give her space,” said Applejack as Fluttershy finally let go of her wrist. “I just hope she stops insisting on hiding her past from Twilight.” 

As Twilight Sparkle watched the rest of the girls gather around in a big group, she stayed on the far side of the group. Seeing Sunset, knowing that there was something she didn’t know about her, was beginning to annoy her. Sure, she did respect that it was her past, her choice to tell her. That had gotten harder every time she watched her friend flinch because of something she didn’t know anything about. 

_ “Why can’t you tell me, Sunset? Is it because you don’t trust me? Or...is it because you see me as…” _ For a moment, Twilight Sparkle didn’t want to let the name cross her mind, but it did anyway.  _ “Midnight Sparkle?” _

She refused to acknowledge Sunset’s presence, in hopes of easing the pain she was feeling. But that didn't do much to reduce it, much to her dismay. She had hoped that she could ignore the hurt, but it was like an annoying little voice in the back of her head. It was reminding her that she had gotten pushed aside...again. She wrapped her arms around herself, a growing feeling of nausea threatening to overwhelm her. Glancing at Sunset, she felt her nausea get worse as she felt another pang of sadness. 

Rarity, who was walking in front of Jeremy and Fritz, looked between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer. She could see the tension that had grown between them. She pursed her lips as she glanced over at Applejack, who shared the same worried expression. Whatever the reason was for Sunset to keep her past a secret from Twilight, it couldn’t have been more important than their friendship. Not when she knew exactly how the redhead felt. 

“Come on, girls. My farm ain’t too from here,” said Applejack, trying to lighten the tension.

An hour later, Jeremy and Fritz approached Sunset Shimmer. They had waited until they felt it was okay to talk to her. After all, they had witnessed the argument that happened earlier. It had taken a while, but eventually, she had started to talk to Pinkie Pie about what desserts they could add to the menu at Sugarcube Corner. Once she had finished talking, Jeremy began to speak to her. 

“Hey Sunset, I was wondering what happened between you and Twilight,” said Jeremy, trying to be respectful of Sunset’s privacy. 

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, looking down. “We just had a disagreement.” 

“It seemed like it was more than that,” interjected Fritz. “It seemed like she was hurt.” 

“She was,” said Sunset, turning to meet Fritz’s gaze. “She was hurt because of what I did.” 

Sunset looked at Twilight Sparkle, who was having a conversation with Fluttershy. She watched as Twilight adjusted her glasses, making the corner of her mouth turn upward. It was one of the cute things she had noticed that her friend did. It was also her favorite thing, aside from the way Twilight always got flustered whenever she would show up. 

“What exactly did you do if I can ask?” Jeremy glanced from Sunset Shimmer to Twilight. 

“I flinched when she touched…” Sunset stopped as she felt her throat grow dry. “My scars…” She whispered the last part, too afraid of Twilight overhearing it. 

“What scars?” asked Fritz, looking from Jeremy to Sunset. 

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. The conversation was starting to become too much for her. Without answering Fritz’s question, she walked away. She felt terrible for doing that, but she couldn’t tell the kids about her past. Not until she knew Twilight Sparkle wasn’t going to overhear it. Besides telling them without letting Twilight know seemed wrong. The last thing she wanted to do was betray Twilight’s trust even more than she already had. Closing her eyes, she pushed her guilt aside, just wanting to focus on getting back to Applejack’s farm. 

*** *** *** ***

Eventually, the girls and the kids arrived at Applejack’s farm. By now, the sun had long since given way to nighttime. The sky was now a rich black, making the stars look like diamonds glittering in the sea of blackness. With it being so vast, it was almost overwhelming. Jeremy, knowing where the barn was, led Fritz to it after they had said their goodbyes to the girls. They had a lot of catching up to do with their memories having gotten suppressed for so long. That left the girls to their own devices. 

Rainbow Dash took the living room couch, immediately passing out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Rarity went upstairs to take a shower while Applejack and Pinkie Pie went to the kitchen to whip up something to eat. Sunset Shimmer joined her friends in the kitchen, wanting to give Twilight Sparkle her space. Even though they hadn’t made eye contact during their trek back to the farm, it was abundantly clear that Twilight was still avoiding her. Meanwhile, Fluttershy busied herself with playing with Applejack’s dog, Winona.

As Twilight Sparkle was about to get settled in the living room, she heard Sunset Shimmer laugh at something that Pinkie Pie had said. That made her heart race, which only reminded her that she was still hurting over what Sunset had done earlier. The redhead’s laughter was one of Twilight’s favorite things, something that brought her joy when she was feeling scared or worried. But now it just served as a reminder that she was unsure as to how she was supposed to feel about the redhead. With her emotions building, almost becoming too much for her, she got up and walked back out to the porch. 

Once outside, Twilight Sparkle leaned against the porch’s wooden railing with her elbows, resting her hands on her biceps. She gazed up at the sky, enjoying the show of twinkling stars above her. The temperature was beginning to drop as a light breeze blew by, making her shiver and rub her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm. Seconds later, she felt something soft and warm brush against her shoulders, making her jump slightly. 

“Sorry, sugacube. Didn’t mean to spook you,” said Applejack as she leaned against the railing, joining Twilight. 

Twilight Sparkle gripped the edges of the blanket, pulling it tighter against her body. “Thanks, AJ.” 

“Are you okay?” Applejack asked quietly, no pressure or demand in her voice. “You seemed quiet on the walk back.” 

Twilight Sparkle looked down. “No, not really.” 

Applejack nodded, turning her head towards Twilight Sparkle but remained quiet. She could see the struggle in Twilight’s violet eyes. It bothered her that she couldn’t do much. And that the one person who could, refused to, giving excuses as to why she couldn’t let Twilight in. Being someone who valued honesty when it came to friends, it bothered her.

“I am not sure of what to make of it,” said Twilight after a few moments had passed. 

“Sunset’s behavior?” asked Applejack. 

“Yeah. It’s like I am dealing with someone who is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute she looks at me like I am her whole world. The next minute she acts like I’m not touching her, but rather that Midnight Sparkle is.” Twilight Sparkle said as she crossed her arms, tucking the blanket with them as she tried to contain the hurt in her voice. “And before you say it, I know that Sunset was a different person before I met her. And that she is ashamed of that.” 

“That is true.” Applejack stated. “She still hates herself for what happened and what she did.” 

“I got that. But I have done some things I am not very proud of either. Like what happened at the Friendship Games. Yet, she helped me see past that.” Twilight Sparkle furrowed her eyebrows, her sadness, and anger at Sunset Shimmer building as she spoke. Looking down, she let out a shaky breath before continuing. “It’s confusing to me. How can she help me but not take her own advice?” 

Applejack could see tears forming in Twilight’s eyes as she spoke. “I know, sugarcube.” 

“It’s so unfair that I am the one who seems to be the one who is taking the blunt for Sunset’s past when I’m the only one who doesn’t even know what happened. And hard as I try, it’s near impossible for me to sit by and have her not tell me when I keep getting hurt for something I know nothing about.” Twilight Sparkle took off her glasses, drying her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt. 

Applejack gently pulled Twilight into a hug. “I’m sorry you are in this position, Twi.” 

Twilight rested her cheek against the cowgirl’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to do now…” 

“What’s your heart tellin’ you?” asked Applejack, a caring look in her eyes. 

Twilight Sparkle sighed and said, “I don’t know what it's telling me.” 

“Want to try and translate?” asked Applejack as she broke off the hug, letting Twilight put her glasses back on. 

Twilight Sparkle looked up at the night sky, staring at nothing in particular. She tried to listen to what her heart was telling her. But it was hard to say with her emotions tearing her in two different ways. Sighing, she decided to give it her best to try and translate it. 

“I don’t want to hurt Sunset.” Twilight started. “But to avoid doing that, I need to know what I can and can’t do. Which means I have to rely on her telling me her limits. But if she can’t do that, then maybe I should consider keeping to myself. I don’t want to continue to be hurt.” 

Applejack turned around, leaning her back against the railing. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to be hurt.” 

Twilight’s eyebrows gathered as she pushed her hurt aside. “If that means cutting off contact with her, then that is what I will do. Even if it will kill me to do that to her…” 

“Don’t you think it’s a bit drastic to be resorting to cutting all contact with her?” asked Applejack, noticing that Sunset Shimmer was giving her a worried look. “Don’t you think you could at least ask her to tell you what happened?” 

“Maybe. But if that falls through, I am left with being hurt because I can’t be near Sunset and not feel like we should have trust between us. Because, if all that she has said is true, then she should be able to talk to me. I want to be there for her, to help her as she helped me. I want to do that because…” Opening her eyes, Twilight Sparkle had gotten forced to face her real feelings, the ones she had tried to ignore because she didn’t want to be hurt anymore. 

“Because you love her,” stated Applejack, matter-of-factly. 

Looking at Applejack, hurt in her eyes, Twilight said softly, “I do love her.” 

Applejack squeezed Twilight’s arm gently. “Well, I am glad you figured that out. But what are going to do with that?” 

“I don’t know,” muttered Twilight, bringing her hands to her hair. “How is it that I love her when she seems to want to keep me on the outside? When she seems like it hurts to have me love her…?” 

Sensing that Twilight Sparkle wanted to be alone, Applejack walked back into the living, closing the front door. Just as she walked into the kitchen, she saw Sunset Shimmer sitting at the counter, staring at her phone. Walking up to her, she sat in the chair next to her. 

“Stop hurtin’ her,” said Applejack as she slapped Sunset’s forearm. 

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her phone, rubbing her arm. “Ow! What was that for, AJ? And what do you mean stop hurting her?”

Applejack glared at Sunset, a serious expression on her face. “Stop lyin’ to Twilight. You’re hurtin’ her.” 

Sunset Shimmer had never seen her friend look this serious. Sure, she had seen Applejack be serious before, but this was different. It was like she was angry at her. Which, given that she valued honesty, she didn’t find that surprising. But what she did find astonishing was that her friend was so forward about her anger. 

Turning off her phone, Sunset Shimmer said, “AJ-” 

Applejack walked away, not letting Sunset Shimmer finish. As she watched the cowgirl walk upstairs, she heard the front door open. Turning her attention to the door, she saw Twilight Sparkle walk in, gripping the blanket. For a minute, she caught her eye. Visible tears were running down her cheeks, falling from her tear-filled eyes. She could see that she was bothered by the argument from earlier. Before she had a chance to say something, she saw Twilight turn around, heading towards the back room where Rarity was now seated. 

_ “Twilight…”  _ Sunset sighed, her gaze drifting to her phone.  _ “I am sorry.” _

*** *** *** ***

The next morning, Sunset Shimmer had become fed up with her class. Her mind wanted to focus on Twilight, not learn about the history of the 1600s. Sitting in her chair, she tried to focus on the assignment. But the teacher’s voice sounded like it was far away as her thoughts started to pull her away. 

_ “Why did I have to flinch away from Twilight? Why couldn’t I just let her touch my scars…” _ She thought as she tapped the eraser of her pencil on the paper. 

Sleeping was an impossible task for her the night before. The image of Twilight’s teary-eyed gaze bored itself into her mind. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t erase it. When she did finally get some sleep, she dreamt of Twilight. The troubling part of her dream was the fact that she had to watch her friend walk away from her, saying that it was over. That repeated over and over throughout the night. When she woke up, it was a relief to no longer have to relive the nightmare. 

“Open up to her. Move on from the past. How can you console her but not be able to let her do the same?” asked her inner voice. 

_ “I don’t know…” _ was all Sunset could manage to say. 

“You have to tell her eventually. What’s the worst that could happen?” Her inner voice said. 

_ “I could lose her.”  _ Sunset gulped. 

“You’ll lose her if you don’t tell her. She’ll hate you for lying to her, for dragging the girls into the lie with you.” Her inner voice now started to seem threatening to her. 

_ “But if I tell her, she may never look at me the same way. She might see me as the monster I once was, rather than her friend.” _ Sunset Shimmer looked down at her paper, trying to hold back the pain as she struggled not to see Twilight’s scared expression. 

Just as Sunset Shimmer had started to spiral into a dark depression, she heard the lunch bell rang. Without a second thought about Twilight, she gathered her stuff, shoving it into her bag. As she got through the crowd of students that was rushing to the cafeteria, she saw her friends sitting at their usual table. Walking up to them, she sat down on the furthest end from Twilight Sparkle. 

“Hey Sunset, you look terrible,” said Pinkie Pie, stating the obvious. 

‘Thanks, Pinkie.” Sunset Shimmer answered in a flat tone, staring down at the table.

“Did you not sleep well, darling?” Rarity asked, resting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. 

Sunset Shimmer looked up, meeting Rarity’s concerned gaze. She gave her a small smile, thankful that her friend cared for her. But in the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight Sparkle look away, focusing on her tray of food. 

“I didn’t sleep. At all. My thoughts wanted to torture me last night…” replied Sunset, folding her arms as she rested them on the table, missing the brief puzzled look Twilight gave her. 

The redhead fell asleep a few minutes after that, her exhaustion overpowering her. As she slept, her mind replayed the events of the Fall Formal, but there was something different. Instead of the girls, there was just Twilight. Except, it wasn’t the princess, it was human Twilight that stood in front of her. 

“Twilight? What are you doing here?” asked Sunset, her voice echoing in her dream.

But instead of getting an answer, she watched as Twilight Sparkle backed away from her. That made her look down at her own hands, seeing the all too familiar claws of Demon Shimmer. When she saw that, the rest of her started to change to match, slowly, she felt her body heat up and shift, becoming more demonic by the second. Her skin became blood red, matching her wings as they pushed themselves from her shoulder blades. Same as when she had put the crown on, her hair had become like fire with flames flickering off of her. Minutes later, her transformation back into Demon Shimmer was finished. 

“Twilight…” began Sunset. “I wanted to tell you.” 

“Then why didn’t you, Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight, a malicious tone in her voice. “Were you just a coward, ashamed of your past?” 

Sunset Shimmer gasped, shocked at the change in her friend. It was so unusual for Twilight to act so...mean. Yet, she was standing in front of her, calling her a coward. And it hurt. Sunset felt her wings wrap around herself as she looked away from Twilight. 

“I…” Sunset wasn’t sure she should say. 

“Oh, cut the crap, Demon Shimmer. I know you lied to me,” said Twilight, her voice changing as she spoke. “I know you lied to me to protect your precious secret.” 

Sunset Shimmer looked up to see Twilight’s usual appearance changing, morphing back into Midnight Sparkle. She staggered back as her horn and wings appeared, fear taking its hold on her. But the changes didn’t stop there as her skin started to darken, returning to its previous state at the Friendship Games. That only made her back away more, worried about what was going to happen. 

“Tw-Twilight? What’s happening?” asked Sunset, her voice cracking as she felt her back hit the Wondercolt statue. 

“I am becoming what you are – a monster,” said Twilight, letting out a sinister chuckle. 

Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to respond, she heard another voice calling her name. It was faint, but there. For a moment, she thought it was Twilight, but it didn’t sound like her. Taking her attention off Twilight Sparkle and her transformation, she focused her attention on the mysterious voice. She whirled around, wondering where it was coming from. It called her name again, this time sounding less distant than the first. In an attempt to figure out what it was saying, she listened carefully to what it was saying. 

“Where are you going, Demon Shimmer?” shouted Twilight Sparkle as her voice grew more and more distant. “I was just starting to have fun torturing you…” 

Sunset Shimmer ignored her, wanting to find where the mysterious voice was coming from. And to be truthful, she didn’t want to talk to Twilight or Midnight Sparkle, whoever she was now. Not if meant she was going to be tormented and taunted by her. Shaking her head, she focused back on the voice and tried to find it. 

“Sunset? Sunset, wake up. Sunset!” The voice grew louder as it called her name. 

She followed the voice, darkness slowly starting to appear as she got closer. The closer she got, the darker the world around her became. By now, she could barely see Twilight Sparkle or the Wondercolt statue behind her as she made her way towards the front door. When the voice called her name again, she recognized the voice as belonging to Fluttershy. A few seconds later, as she opened the doors leading into CHS, the darkness completely swallowed her. 

“Sunset?” asked the voice again. 

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes, seeing Fluttershy shaking her by the shoulder. Looking around, she noticed that everyone was starting to leave the cafeteria. She sat up, stretching out her stiffened back and neck. 

“The bell rang, didn’t it?” Sunset Shimmer asked as she grabbed her messenger bag. 

Fluttershy nodded. “We have to get to class now.” 

With a groan, Sunset got up from the table. One by one, the girls left the cafeteria. The last one to go was Twilight. As Twilight Sparkle walked past Sunset Shimmer, she grabbed her hand. Upon contact, the redhead felt her heart race as electricity pulsed through her veins. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t control the adrenaline that overtook her body. 

_ “I can’t lose her!” _ screamed Sunset Shimmer in her mind, trying to keep her desperation to herself. 

Looking up, Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight’s gaze go from exasperation to confusion. But the confusion gave way to serenity as she saw her blush. That blush was soon followed by a light squeeze against her hand. Feeling that, Sunset Shimmer felt her own chest heave at the gesture, barely managing to smile at Twilight back as she felt her own emotions grow uncontrollably. Yet, amid her emotional high, she felt her hand slip from hers as she started to walk away. 

“Well, that was brief but sweet…” Sunset’s conscience said as the ringing of the bell drowned it out.

*** *** *** ***

After school had ended, the girls had met at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie had insisted they meet there so they could try her new vanilla creme cupcakes with fudge frosting. She had made them a week prior while trying to find a new way to combine the flavors of fudge and vanilla. As the girls took their seats at the counter, they waited for Rainbow Dash to show up. She had soccer practice she needed to go, but Rainbow Dash said she’d meet them at Sugarcube Corner. 

“Where did Pinkie go?” asked Rarity as she set her bag on the counter. 

“She went to the back to get her ‘Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl’ cupcakes,” replied Sunset as she glanced down at the counter. 

Just as Sunset Shimmer said that there was a familiar sound of the bell ringing above the door as it opened, the girls all turned around to see their rainbow-haired friend walking into the cafe. 

“Yes! No more school for the weekend!” shouted Rainbow Dash, throwing her hands into the air. 

“While we may be out of school, we still gotta hunt down the rest of the blasted animatronics  _ before _ they cause any more harm,” said Applejack, reminding the excited athlete of what they had to do during the week as she sat down.

“Oh...yeah, that.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Man, so much for getting my book signed by A.K. Yearling.” 

“Where do we start?” asked Twilight Sparkle. 

Sunset Shimmer rested her finger on her chin, thinking about their next move. When Pinkie Pie brought her new cupcake creations, she grabbed her own, taking a bite of it. She recalled the footprints she had seen at the police station, the ones which led them directly to Fritz. If going to the police station had helped them find Fritz, she wondered if returning would reveal any new clues. After all, they had found Jeremy’s friend around there. 

“Girls, I think we should go back to the police station,” said Sunset.

“Do you think that would work? Just because we found Jeremy’s friend nearby, doesn’t mean the rest of his friends would be around there,” said Twilight, setting her own cupcake down. 

“I don’t know, Twilight. But it’s worth a shot,” replied Sunset before taking another bite of her cupcake. 

Pinkie Pie beamed at her friends, barely able to contain her excitement as she awaited her friends’ responses to her new creation. It had taken her weeks to get each flavor to taste right. The next task was to get both the chocolate and vanilla to mingle together. She had failed numerous times, having either the chocolate or vanilla overpower the other. But this time, she was convinced that she had finally gotten it right. 

“So, what do you girls think?” asked Pinkie Pie, nearly trembling from her excitement. 

“Mhm, these are good, Pinkie,” said Applejack as she swallowed the last of her cupcake. “Probably one of your best creations.” 

“Yeah, they are excellent,” added Sunset, taking another bite of hers. “Still not better than my favorite; triple cocoa swirl cupcakes.” 

Pinkie Pie widely smiled as she heard her friends’ approval. “Sweet! I am glad you girls like it.” 

“Um, girls?” Twilight Sparkle interjected, pointing to the slowly setting sun. “I think we should get going before we have to walk home in the dark. Again…” 

Sunset Shimmer got up and threw her cupcake wrapper away. Walking back, she said, ‘Twilight’s right. We should go before nightfall.” 

The girls all finished their cupcakes, throwing away their wrappers as they exited the sweet shop. As they walked away from the shop, their shadow from the previous night returned. Unbeknownst to them, their shadow had plans for their demise, plans they could help make happen…

*** *** *** ***

Once they returned to the police station, they crouched behind some bushes, keeping themselves hidden. Outside, like the night before, there were bunches of officers sitting around in the grass or on the benches around the police station. They also found the same footprints from the night before. But there didn’t seem to be any new ones joining the group. Though, it was hard to tell in the sea of officers walking in front of the prints and forest. Sunset sighed and walked back to the safety of the next street. 

“There are no new footprints. Guess you were right, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer said as she leaned her back against a tree. “They didn’t show up.” 

Twilight Sparkle rested a hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “Just because we didn’t find them here, doesn’t mean they aren’t nearby.” 

While Twilight Sparkle was talking to Sunset, Rainbow Dash looked around the street they were standing on. She could see groups of people walking in and out of the nearby shops and restaurants. With that many people walking around, it seemed impossible to be able to spot a big yellow animatronic chicken. As she scanned the street, she came across a new KFC restaurant which had opened two weeks ago. There weren’t a lot of people around it, making it easier to spot something unusual if she saw it. 

“Maybe we should’ve brought Jeremy and Fritz with us.” Sunset Shimmer sighed and crossed her arms. “Then, we wouldn’t be running around aimlessly trying to find a big yellow chicken.” 

“And risk them getting seen? Sunset, you made the right choice in keeping them at the barn,” said Twilight, resting her hands on Sunset’s. 

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash kept her eye on the KFC restaurant, her gut instinct telling her that something was there. A few seconds later, her gut instinct had gotten proved right when she spotted something big and yellow. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward, wanting to get a better view of what the object was. In doing so, she realized who or rather  _ what _ it was. 

“Guys, I think I found Chica,” said Rainbow Dash in a hushed shout. 

Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the girls all crowded around Rainbow Dash. There was an 8-foot tall, yellow animatronic chicken standing in front of the building. Unaware that it had gotten spotted, it circled the front of the restaurant. They watched as it stopped in front of a poster with a bucket full of chicken. Rainbow Dash struggled to contain her laughter as she saw the sight in front of her. 

“Guess that chicken has found out what happens to its cousin,” whispered Rainbow Dash in between stifling her building laughter. 

Punching Rainbow Dash’s arm, Sunset Shimmer glared at her. “Shush it unless you want it to hear us and run off.” 

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but kept quiet. Staying out of sight, the girls all made their way towards the animatronic. Thankfully, there was no one else around as they got within 5 feet of it. As it turned around, they quickly dove behind some nearby bushes, trying to remain as quiet as they could. Sunset peered up, making sure that the animatronic was facing the poster before motioning for her friends to get up. 

“Is that why that stupid rainbow-haired human called me a ‘KFC wannabe’? Because I am a... _ chicken _ ?” asked Chica, talking to herself, unaware that she was about to be attacked.


	8. Night 8: Twilight or Midnight

While the girls were sitting behind the bushes, trying to keep as quiet as possible, Pinkie Pie pulled out a cookie from her hair. As she casually ate her cookie, she focused on watching the animatronic chicken. It was a mystery as to how Pinkie Pie always had some sort of sugary treat in her hair. But the girls had learned that it was best not to question her. Just as Rainbow Dash got up and started to walk to another bush, she tripped over a rock. That sent her flying towards Pinkie Pie. 

“Pinkie, watch out!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she tumbled into her party friend. 

Pinkie Pie fell, making her toss her half-eaten cookie towards Chica. When the sugary treat touched the grass behind the chicken animatronic, it set off a small explosion. The explosion sent a small amount of dirt and glass up into the air, which in turn made the animatronic turn around. Pinkie Pie gulped as she saw the red eyes bore into her. 

"That’s just great, Dash. So much for our sneak attack,” groaned Sunset Shimmer as she started to dart after Chica. 

Rainbow Dash got up and ran after Sunset Shimmer. She was careful not to use her geode as much. She had noticed a few sparks flying out from it every once in a while when she used it. Considering that her geode had gotten made of magic, she figured that the sparks had to be made of magic as well. That had never happened before. Then again, she and the girls hadn’t used their geodes this much before. She assumed the magic sparks were from their recent usage of their geodes. 

Chica, seeing the redhead chasing after her, started to run in the opposite direction. Her legs creaked and groaned beneath her every step, clearly not used to the mechanics of running. Every time her feet hit the pavement, it cracked and split underneath her, making loud snapping noises in the process. The footprint cracks made an easy trail for Sunset and the girls to follow. 

“Come on! Let’s get this fucking robot chicken before anyone else gets hurt,” shouted Rainbow Dash as she ran towards Sunset and Chica. 

The rest of the girls followed Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash as they chased down Chica. As the robotic chicken took a sharp left, Sunset followed right behind her. Her boots scraped across the pavement as she skidded briefly to stop herself from running into a wall. She resumed her chase of the animatronic, not wanting to lose sight of it. Just as she managed to get within a few feet of Chica, a rainbow-colored blur shoved right past her. That made her lose her balance, sending her tumbling into a pile of trash bags. 

Applejack caught up just in time to see Sunset Shimmer get sent flying into the pile of trash bags. She offered the redhead a hand in getting up. Once she was on her feet, she saw her look up at her. She figured it was because she wanted to thank her. Yet, her friend went silent soon afterward, most likely because she saw the disappointment and anger she still felt towards her. Looking away, she continued after Rainbow Dash, wanting to help her friend. 

Sunset Shimmer wanted to say something as she saw Applejack run off, but she couldn’t. She saw the anger and disappointment in her green eyes, which dug at her.it was understandable after what she had said the night before. The distressed look Twilight Sparkle gave her still remained in her mind. But that didn’t mean it didn’t sting to see her friends avoid her because of her mistake. Soon after her friend disappeared around a corner, she saw Twilight run past, avoiding her gaze. Sighing, she said nothing and continued her chase after Chica. 

_ “Guess they hate me. Can’t say I blame the girls, though. Twilight was hurt,” _ thought Sunset Shimmer as she joined the rest of her friends in a dead-end alleyway. 

“Yes, yes, she was. You better start telling the truth,” interjected Sunset’s conscience, annoying her. 

Rainbow Dash had managed to trap Chica in an alleyway. Or at least she thought she had. But Chica, despite her size and having wings, was a surprisingly good climber. She managed to scale the wall at the end of the alley, making a beeline for the playground on the other side of it. The most shocking part was that its joints were old, very old. Yet, they were surprisingly functional. Rainbow Dash climbed up onto a dumpster, staring over the wall. She watched as Chica stopped at the playground, thinking she was safe. 

Once Chica was there, a young girl that appeared to be around the age of six approached her. She was curious about the big yellow chicken that was standing around the playground. It was an odd sight, to say the least. As she got closer to the chicken, she saw the full extent of its height. It towered over her like a skyscraper, making the girl stop walking. 

“What are you?” asked the little girl. 

On the side of the wall, Rainbow Dash jumped down from the top of the dumpster she was standing on. She saw her friends approaching her, finally having caught up to her. As she focused on her friends, she hoped the little girl could keep Chica occupied for a while.

“Finally, what took you guys so long?” asked Rainbow Dash. 

“We don’t all have super speed, Dash,” said Applejack as she approached her. “Did you see where our haywire chicken ran off to?” 

Rainbow Dash nodded, pointing to the wall behind her. “It jumped over that wall and is in the playground on the other side.” 

With that, Applejack climbed on top of the dumpster Rainbow Dash had previously been standing on. She held out a hand for her friends to give them a lift over the wall. The first to go over the wall was Fluttershy, followed shortly by Pinkie Pie. The next one to go over the wall was Rarity, who was hesitant to get on the dumpster. As she grabbed Applejack’s hand, she pushed herself on top of the dumpster. The feeling of strong hands gripping her waist made her legs go wobbly for a few seconds. 

“Are you okay, Rare?” asked Applejack as she tightened her grip, making the fashionista blush. 

“Y-yes, AJ,” replied Rarity, trying to keep her composure. “Just lost my balance for a moment.” 

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in annoyance. She didn’t want to be standing there, listening to her friends flirt with each other. Not when they had a robotic chicken to hunt down. Getting onto another dumpster, she made her way on top of the wall. She walked over to where Rarity and Applejack were. Being careful not to lose her balance, she held out a hand for her friend. 

Rarity, trying to ignore her disgust at the fact she was standing on top of a dumpster, took Rainbow Dash’s hand. She managed to get one foot on top of the concrete wall. But just as she was about to place her other foot on the wall, she lost her footing. As her shoe scraped downward, she fell. She quickly made a diamond shield before her back could hit the lid of the dumpster. 

“Oh my, this smells horrid,” said Rarity as she got to her feet again. 

She made another attempt at climbing over the wall. This time, she didn’t lose her footing and was able to make her way to the other side. She climbed down, joining Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as she waited for the rest of the girls to join them. 

Sunset Shimmer was the last one to go as Twilight Sparkle insisted she go before she did. Watching Twilight climb over the wall, she forced herself to not give in to her guilt. At least not until after they had caught Chica. She grabbed Applejack’s hand, letting herself get pulled on top of the dumpster. The smell was horrid, as Rarity had mentioned. Yet, she didn’t seem to care. Once Applejack made her way to the other side, she had gotten helped to the top of the wall. Just as she was about to get down, she felt a hard tug on her jacket sleeve. 

“You know, AJ told me what Twilight had said to her. I say you have to tell her about you being an alpha bitch and the whole raging she-demon thing.” hissed Rainbow Dash, glaring at Sunset. 

Sunset Shimmer yanked her jacket sleeve out of Rainbow Dash’s hand. She looked away from her, gripping her right arm. It wasn’t easy to hear her friend mention what happened at the Fall Formal. Let alone call her past an ‘alpha bitch.’ Though looking back, she figured that was an accurate description of her behavior and demeanor. 

“Dash, leave me alone. I know I’ve hurt her, okay? But what can I do?” mumbled Sunset, digging her nails into her leather jacket. 

“Admit who you  _ used _ to be. Let Twilight know how much you have changed.” Rainbow Dash said as if it was the easiest thing to do.

Sunset Shimmer’s hand trembled as she fought against her anger, which was slowly building. There was a small desire to punch Rainbow Dash. But she pushed it aside, taking a deep breath. Pushing her friend would do no good, even if it would alleviate her anger at being yelled at for keeping her past a secret. 

“Rainbow...it isn’t that easy. I am...scared,” admitted Sunset through gritted teeth. 

Rainbow Dash was surprised, even a little shocked by what she heard. It was the first time she had ever heard Sunset Shimmer admit to being scared. That was very unusual for the redhead, to say the least. Sure, it was one thing for her to be angry or frustrated. That was something she was known for, especially in her bully days. But being scared? The idea that she could be was strange. But not something that couldn’t happen. Acknowledging that, Rainbow Dash’s expression softened. 

“Scared? Scared of...what exactly?” asked Rainbow Dash. 

Sunset Shimmer hesitated. “Scared of… losing… Twilight.” Her voice barely stayed above a whisper as she continued. “I am scared that she’ll change how she sees me if she knew how awful I was.” 

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight Sparkle as she tried to keep Pinkie Pie from exposing them to Chica. She could see why Sunset Shimmer was afraid of losing her. Whenever she looked at Sunset, there was a light in her eyes. As if something about her redheaded friend brought out whatever was buried deep in Twilight. Only lately, it seemed that the light was shrouded in sadness. 

“Sunset-" 

“What?” asked Sunset, looking at her polychromatic friend. 

“You should tell her. And not just because I said so. But because of your fear of losing her. Trust her...the way we trusted you after the Fall Formal.” said Rainbow Dash, her hand now resting gently on Sunset’s shoulder. 

Hurt. That was the only emotion Sunset Shimmer could feel right now. Rainbow Dash’s words had a hard truth to them. If the girls hadn’t been willing to be there and help her better herself, well...she wouldn’t have met this world’s Twilight. And she certainly wouldn’t have the friends and life she had now. Nor would she have felt the thundering in her chest every time Twilight Sparkle glanced her way. 

“You’re right. I will tell Twilight later today after we’ve caught this fucking chicken,” said Sunset. 

A wide smirk of amusement appeared on the athlete’s face. “Of course, I am right.” That made Sunset Shimmer roll her eyes in annoyance. “And I agree. Now, let’s go Kentucky fry this KFC wannabe.” 

With that, both Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash jumped down and joined their friends. They saw that Chica, to their utter surprise, was still somehow distracted by the little girl. Sunset wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or worried about the girl. After all, she was talking to an 8-foot tall metal chicken that could easily kill her. 

Unbeknownst to Sunset Shimmer and the girls, Springtrap was watching them. And he was on a mission to figure out what exactly it was that they were up to. After having his way with the puppet and getting nowhere, he was desperate for answers. He remained behind the wall that the girls and Chica had just jumped over. It was far enough away that they wouldn’t notice him with the advantage of him being able to hear and see them. Carefully, he lifted himself slightly over the wall, making sure he caught every word that was getting said. 

“Okay, what the fuck are you puny ass school girls doing to those fucking children?” hissed Springtrap. 

*** *** *** ***

“So, are we going to ambush this KFC wannabe or what?” asked Rainbow Dash, placing her hands on her hips in impatience. 

Twilight Sparkle looked at Rainbow Dash, thankful that Sunset Shimmer was behind her with Rarity in between them. “No, we’re not going to  _ ambush _ the animatronic.” She pushed her glasses up to the bride of the nose. “If we do that, the girl next to her could be injured or worse…” 

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes, pushing the gory images of Jeremy and Fritz’s deaths out of her mind. She had enough to worry about as it was. And enough guilt to make her nauseous as well. For now, she had to focus on helping her friends catch the loose animatronic. That meant putting off telling Twilight Sparkle the truth of her past. Not that she minded the delay in doing that. She was quite happy to have a setback. 

“No! You said you would tell Twilight. Don’t be a coward and back away now. Not unless you can live never having Twilight acknowledging you.” said Sunset’s inner voice, reminding her what was at stake if she backed out. 

_ “I know…” _ thought Sunset, glancing briefly at Twilight. 

Shaking her head, Sunset Shimmer tried to focus on the task at hand. She couldn’t afford to be sidelined by her troubles at the moment. 

“Okay, okay! I get it, we don’t need any more dead kids,” said Rainbow Dash, holding her hands up defensively. 

Just then, the little girl ran back to her mother. Twilight Sparkle was the first to spot Chica as she started to move on to the playground. As she watched the animatronic lumber around the playground, she noticed that it was a bit...well...dumb. The animatronic chicken, not watching where it was stepping, tripped, and fell on the grass. That made some of the kids who were still on the playground run off, scared by the loud crash. 

“Okay, girls, here’s the pla-” Twilight Sparkle was abruptly cut off as Rainbow Dash started to snicker at the sight of the robotic chicken trying to stand up. 

Unfortunately for the girls, Chica overheard their friend laughing. In seconds, the animatronic chicken had managed to get to her feet and bolt away. Sunset Shimmer, being the quickest to get up, bolted after her. But she was soon outdone as Rainbow Dash blurred right past her. Rolling her eyes, she continued after her. 

Meanwhile, behind the wall, Springtrap let out an exasperated groan. He wasn’t in the mood to be chasing some stupid school girls who had meddled in his private affairs. Nor did he feel like chasing after the big yellow nuisance. Yet, his desire to know what the hell the girls were really up to with the kids was stronger. Jumping over the wall, he pushed past some old trash cans and boxes. He continued trailing the girls, careful to keep some distance between them and him. After all, he didn’t want to be spotted, not when he was close to figuring out what they were doing. 

After turning a few corners, dodging a few trash cans that had gotten tossed into their path, and nearly getting Fluttershy with a rogue cat, they finally managed to corner Chica in another alleyway. The wall behind the animatronic was too tall for it to climb, allowing the girls a chance to capture her. And without any trash cans nearby, their safety was also secured. They all slowly approached the animatronic, watching as it stood against the wall with nowhere to run. 

Twilight Sparkle placed her hand out in front of her. Seconds later, a light magenta-colored aura surrounded the animatronic. While the aura enveloped the animatronic, it started to fight back. As it tried to pull itself free from the aura, Twilight reached for her geode. Closing her eyes, she focused her energy on her magic. Slowly, the aura surrounded the animatronic. 

“Applejack, do you have your lasso?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to keep Chica under control. “I don’t think I can keep this animatronic under control for much longer.”

Applejack gave Twilight Sparkle an apologetic look. “Sorry, sugarcube. The blasted rabb-I mean Fritz-broke my lasso. I am still waitin’ on my new one.” 

That wasn’t what Twilight Sparkle was hoping to hear. As she stood there, fighting against the animatronic, she could feel her strength draining. Holding onto it, it took more magic with every squirm and kick the animatronic chicken made. The idea of having to hold it while Sunset saw its memories wasn’t appealing. Yet, she was the only one who could contain it. Making a decision, she glanced at Sunset. 

“Sunset, do you think you can see Chica’s or whoever this is memories while I hold them?” asked Twilight, grounding her feet into the pavement. 

“Yeah, I think so...” replied Sunset, avoiding Twilight’s gaze. 

“Okay, then start,” said Twilight, her voice devoid of any emotion as if she was afraid to let her feelings show around Sunset Shimmer. 

Sunset Shimmer noticed the lack of emotion in Twilight’s voice. It hurt her to hear that. But it didn’t sting as much as knowing that she was causing Twilight pain. Sighing, she glanced up at her, flashing her a small, awkward half-smile. That resulted in Twilight looking away from her. As she looked at her friend, she noticed something...odd. Glancing downward, she saw purple sparks flying from her geode. 

_ “That’s strange… Could us using our geodes be causing them to malfunction?” _ thought Sunset. 

Standing still, Sunset Sparkle nearly missed the wing that was aiming to hit her abdomen. Luckily, she had quick reflexes and managed to dive out of the way. Her body slammed itself against the hard pavement as Sunset Shimmer failed to keep her balance. Groaning, she got up again and walked back to the animatronic chicken. Without acknowledging Twilight, the redhead placed her hand on the hard yellow plastic that covered the animatronic’s endoskeleton. Her eyes flashed white as she started to see the memories of Jeremy’s next friend. 

*** *** *** ***   
  
_ An 11-year-old girl was chasing three boys in front of her. As she ran past a nearby whiteboard, there were three tally marks, marking how many rounds of tag they had played. Running around a table, she could feel her lungs burning with every breath she took. It had gotten so bad that she had to grab a chair and sit down for a moment. No sooner had she sat down, did Fritz come running by. She tried to pull her chair in as quickly as she could, but she wasn’t fast enough. Seconds later, she felt something hit her back chair leg.  _

_ “Ow!” She heard Fritz say as she saw him rubbing his knee.  _

_ She pulled her chair in and said nothing as she spotted Jeremy walking up to them.  _

_ “Are you okay?” Jeremy asked as she focused her attention on her hands.  _

_ For a moment, she glanced up at Fritz. She saw him smile his devilish trickster smile. Rolling her eyes in boredom, she returned her focus to her hands. That smile was one she knew all too well. She had seen it many times whenever Fritz had played a prank on her. One that quickly became annoying when he used it often. Sometimes, she had gotten tempted to punch him for even flashing it her way.  _

_ “Yeah, and you’re it now!” she heard Fritz shout from behind her.  _

_ She snickered as she heard Jeremy groan. Sure, it wasn’t funny when it happened to her. But it was funny when it happened to others. She couldn’t resist seeing it as somewhat amusing. Even if it was sometimes mean.  _

_ “Go get him, Fritz.” said the girl under breath, chuckling as she saw Jeremy duck Fritz’s first attempt at tagging Jeremy. _

_ A few more rounds of tag later, she saw Freddy walking towards them with Jeremy’s cake. Getting up, she went to sit next to Jeremy but was beaten to it by Fritz. Letting out a sigh of irritation, she sat back in her original chair. Luckily for her, it was right in front of where Jeremy was sitting.  _

_ “Happy Birthday Jeremy!” said Freddy, making her jump in surprise as she heard the sudden noise. _

_ She watched as Freddy approached the table, setting the cake down on the table. Something about the robotic eyes in the animatronic creeped her out. Maybe it was the inhumanness that made them creepy. Or the way they glowed whenever they were in a dark area. Whatever it was, it unsettled her. It was out of support and celebration that she had decided to go to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have stepped foot in the restaurant. Yet, she knew her friend was worth shoving her disgust aside.  _

_ “...Happy Birthday to you.” finished Chica.  _

_ As the song came to an end, she sighed. The sound of the animatronic chicken’s voice was starting to grind down on her last nerve. How anyone could stand to listen to it was beyond her. If she could, she would’ve shut the animatronic up several lyrics earlier. She watched as Jeremy leaned forward, preparing to blow out his candles when a hook rested on his shoulder. _

_ She looked at the animatronic fox, the one they called Foxy, as he bent down towards Jeremy. “Don’t forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy.”  _

_ While Jeremy readied to blow his candles, she moved to the side. Thankfully, she had moved in time. Where she had been sitting moments earlier was a small cloud of smoke. It dissipated quickly, allowing her to sit back in her original seat. Covering her mouth, she let out a series of short coughs. The smell of burnt candles was strong but not overwhelming.  _

_ After a little while later, she had finished her piece of cake. The sweetness almost made her gag, but otherwise, she did enjoy it. As she glanced over at the trash bins, she saw Fritz standing near them. Looking behind him, she saw a strange goldish glow from a dark hallway. Susie squinted, trying to see whatever the golden object was. But when she blinked, the object disappeared.  _

_ Her attention had gotten drawn away when she heard Jeremy shout, “Hey, Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?”  _

_ "That was weird, right?" whispered the boy next to her.  _

_ "Yeah, it was," she replied.  _

_ "What do you think he was staring at?" asked the boy.  _

_ "No clue. All I saw was a golden glow before it disappeared the second I blinked," she said, eyeing the show.  _

_ She knew what show Jeremy was mentioning. It was the one thing that she didn’t hate about the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Her favorite character was Chica, even if her design was a bit...funky for a chicken. She took one last sip of her water before she decided to join the kids in the stage area. Walking over, she saw the vast crowd that had gathered. It was clear Jeremy wasn’t the only one who enjoyed being here. She sat down in the back, not wanting to be in the front.  _

_ The lights dimmed as Freddy, Foxy, Bonnie, and Chica walked onto the stage one by one. Seconds later, they were met with a series of screams as the kids around her cheered for the mascots. She covered her ears, trying to tune out the loud shouts from around her. As the screams died down, she heard them echo in the otherwise quiet room. She eventually pulled her hands away from her ears, thankful that screaming stopped.  _

_ ‘Y ar , har, har, har, me mates! Who’s ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?” asked the pirate as he waved his hook in front of his face.  _

_ “We are!” shouted the kids around her, making her cover her ears again.  _

_ The pirate fox lifted his hook and said, Well, good. Welcome to the Pirate’s Cove Treasure Hunt.”  _

_ As the first song started, she decided to move closer to the stage. With the crowds of kids shouting, it was hard for her to hear the actual song from where she was. After scooting around for a good minute or two, she found a good spot near the back where the kids were a bit quieter. She sat down, leaning her back against the wall, ready to enjoy the show.  _

_ Two songs later, she felt something tap her shoulder. She spun around to see a grime-covered Golden Freddy suit behind her. For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Something about the black eyeholes staring back at her sent shivers down her spine. Maybe it was because whoever was wearing the suit could be harmful. Or perhaps it was because the suit hid the identity of the mysterious person from her.  _

_ “Kid, want a free makeup kit?” asked the figure in their gravelly voice.  _

_ She raised her eyebrows at the oddness of the question. She couldn’t tell if the person was legit. But there was also a part of her that wouldn’t let her turn down a free makeup kit. After all, it was  _ free _. Plus, makeup was something she was passionate about, mostly because her mother owned a cosmetics company. Though, she wasn’t allowed too much of it. Something about it not being for her or her not being old enough yet.  _

_ “It was made especially for you.” She heard the figure say, enticing her even more.  _

_ After thinking for a moment, she said, “Sure...show me this makeup kit of yours.”  _

_ Quietly, she got up, making her way past her mother unnoticed. Once she had slipped past the adults, she continued to follow the person in the Golden Freddy suit until they came to a darkened hallway. That's when she refused to go any further. Mold was growing on the walls and floor, coating them in a layer of blackness. Looking around, she noticed there was also feces from the numerous raccoons and mice that had made their home there. That made her cover her mouth, not wanting to inhale the mold or the feces.  _

_ “Ew… where are we?” the girl asked, not moving from her spot. “I don’t want to walk there. This place is too creepy.”  _

_ She heard the person growl from within the suit, sounding like an angry animal. That made her aware that this person, whoever they were, may be dangerous.  _

_ “We are in the hallway, which leads to the room with your free makeup kit.” said the figure, gritting their teeth in anger.  _

_ “Well, can you go get the kit and bring it out? Why do I have to go into this mold-covered abyss?” she asked, stepping back from the figure.  _

_ Before she even had time to react, there was a golden hand gripping her arm. Tight enough that a small bruise formed from the contact. She screamed a few seconds before she felt a grime-covered hand cover her mouth. A wave of nausea hit her as whatever coated the costume hand slipped into her mouth. It tasted awful, like a rotten orange.  _

_ “Let me go!” she shouted, her voice muffled by the hand covering her mouth.  _

_ “Hm, let me think about it.” The person tapped a finger on the costume’s chin. “No, but I will gladly escort you to this  _ deluxe _ room.” replied the person, their voice dripping heavily with sarcasm.  _

_ Moments later, she had gotten shoved into a dark room. As she tumbled down the stairs, slamming her body into the edges on the way down, she had gotten stopped by a metal object. Behind her, she heard the door slam shut, causing her to glance up. That’s when she finally noticed the putrid smell of decaying flesh in the room. She jumped and shuffled away from the smell. Having distanced her from the metal object, she saw that it was the old Golden Freddy animatronic. In the dim light, she saw red streaks of blood running down the yellow plastic of the animatronic.  _

_ “Hey! Watch it, will you?” said a voice as she felt her hand rest on something warm.  _

“Is that Gabriel?”  _ she thought as she tried to recognize the voice.  _

_ “S-sorry, Gabe.” She apologized, lifting her hand off of his.  _

_ She sat next to her friend, happy that she wasn’t alone in the room. She could feel the coldness of the concrete floor through the fabric of her shorts. It made her shiver as she rubbed her arms. Now she wished she had brought her jacket with her.  _

_ “Susie, is that really you?” asked Gabriel.  _

_ ‘Yeah, it is, you dummy.” she said, playfully punching his arm.  _

_ “Yep, definitely you,” said Gabriel. “No one calls me a dummy, but you.”  _

_ Susie chuckled for a moment. “So...how did you get trapped in here?”  _

_ As soon as she asked the question, she heard Gabriel shuffle away from her. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, “What? Did you get trapped for something stupid?”  _

_ “The Purple Guy offered me pizza. I was trapped...for free pizza,” replied Gabriel as he kept his voice low.  _

_ “Wait. What? You were trapped for...pizza? Pizza?!” shrieked Susie as she jumped to her feet.  _

_ “Yes…”  _

_ “Should’ve guessed that was how you got trapped. You think with your stomach rather than your head,” said Susie, sighing.  _

_ “And what exactly led to you getting trapped with me?” asked Gabriel.  _

_ That question made Susie fall silent. She knew that her reason for being trapped was no better than Gabriel’s. But just as Susie was about to speak, Susie heard the creaking of the door as it opened. She turned to see a shadowy figure standing in the doorway. Their outline looked like Freddy, leading her to believe that it was the same person who kidnapped her. The person walked in for a moment before shoving another kid into the room and closing the door. She figured that the figure was the ‘Purple Guy’ that Gabriel was referencing.  _

_ With the door now closed, Susie shifted her attention to the new kid in the room. She noticed that the kid’s hair was spiked upward. Just like Fritz’s hair always. But in the darkness, she couldn’t see the color of their hair. As the kid stepped closer to her, she saw a familiar dog tag that glinted in what little light that filtered into the room. And apparently, Gabriel saw it too as she heard him move closer to her.  _

_ “Fritz?” She and Gabriel both asked in unison.  _

_ “W-who’s there?” she heard the kid ask, confirming that it was her friend.  _

_ “It’s us, you dummy,” Susie said, slapping his arm angrily. _

_ “Ow, that is definitely you, Susie. No one else hits me that hard.” Fritz said.  _

_ “And it’s me, Gabriel,” said Gabriel.  _

_ “How did you guys get here?” Susie heard Fritz ask as she saw him rubbing the arm she had slapped.  _

_ Susie huffed and crossed her across her chest. “Well, I didn’t get here by being tricked with the promise of a free pizza.”  _

_ “Hey! I was hungry.” She heard Gabriel shout in his defense.  _

_ As she stood there, she heard Fritz move in between her and Gabriel. Just as she lowered her arms, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She was tempted to brush his hand off her but thought otherwise of it.  _

_ “Okay, so I know Gabriel got tricked by his stomach. But how did you get tricked, Suze?” asked Fritz, making Susie look away.  _

_ Biting her lip, Susie looked down. Susie didn’t want to admit her reason for being trapped. And if Susie was honest, she was kind of grateful that Fritz had interrupted her conversation with Gabriel. Though, Susie reluctantly decided that she had to admit her reason for being lured to the room.  _

_ “I was lured in because of...a free makeup kit. One that was made especially for me.”  _

_ “Really, Susie? A  _ free _ makeup kit?” asked Fritz.  _

_ “What?! I like wearing makeup,” Susie said, turning her back to him, yanking her shoulder away in the process.  _

_ She heard Fritz sigh before saying, “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Susie.” She heard him fall silent for a moment. “Wait, where’s Jeremy?”  _

_ Susie was thinking the same thing. The whole time she had been talking with both Fritz and Gabriel, she had noticed that Jeremy was the only one not amongst them. Just as she started to look around, she saw the door leading to the room open again. In front of the door was a familiar-looking kid with wavy hair. Behind him stood the figure she assumed was the Purple Guy. As the kid started making his way down the stairs, the door slammed shut behind him, the same as before.  _

_ “Hey! What are you doing?” She heard Jeremy scream at the door.  _

_ She watched as Jeremy turned around and made his way over to the gold-colored animatronic. It was only then that she remembered the putrid smell that emanated from the animatronic. The closer Jeremy got to it, the more her anxiety increased. Swallowing hard, she watched as he tapped the metallic figure.  _

_ When the animatronic opened, the foul smell intensified. It burned Susie's throat and eyes as it wafted towards her. She backed away, attempting to distance herself from the smell. But it was no use. She felt a mold-covered brick wall behind her. She jumped forward, not wanting to touch the mold which was growing on the wall. That forced her to look at what lay inside the animatronic. Glancing, she saw something inside. No, not something — someone. It was the girl from their school, the one that had disappeared mysteriously two months ago. Realizing that, it was enough to trigger her gag reflex.  _

_ Susie turned around just as the contents of her stomach made their way up her esophagus. Her throat burned as she vomited her pizza and cake. After a few seconds, Susie felt the stream of stomach acid stop. But her stomach churned, and she threw up...again. Finally, after a few minutes of dry heaving, Susie was able to breathe. Slowly, she walked over to Jeremy, still clutching her churning stomach.  _

_ “Jeremy!” exclaimed Susie, breaking the silence in the room. “What are you doing here?”  _

_ “I was looking for you,” replied Jeremy.  _

_ Prying her arms from her stomach, she hugged Jeremy. She was grateful to see he was okay. Though, she had to wonder how long that would last.  _

_ “Why did you guys get trapped in here?” asked Jeremy.  _

_ Susie gulped, not really in the mood to admit the dumb reason that she got trapped for. It wasn’t that Susie didn’t want to tell him. But saying that she wasn’t interested in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was out of the question, especially as it was Jeremy’s birthday. Reluctantly though, she told him everything even if she was embarrassed to admit it. _

_ A few hours of sitting in silence later, the door opened again. This time, it was the Purple Guy in the doorway. There were no new kids with him. That only made Susie worry more. If he didn’t have any new kids, that could mean he had something planned for them.  _

_ “Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready....to die?” asked the Purple Guy.  _

_ She had huddled with her friends, hoping that the protection would keep her safe. Pushing herself against the wall, she helplessly watched as Jeremy tried to get away from the Purple Guy. She and her friends were paralyzed with fear as they watched the figure grab Jeremy’s arm, pulling him away from their group. With tears in her eyes, she watched as their friend left the room for the very last time.  _

_ As the door slammed shut, she glanced over at Fritz as the group broke off the huddle. In the dim lighting, she could see that he had huddled into a small ball. His skin was also pale. Paler than his usual tone. He was frightened and cold, as they all were. Seeing that told her he figured he was next to go. That made her wonder if he was right. A voice in the back of her head said it was.  _

_ One hour had passed, in which the room had started to grow a bit chilly. Susie was jolted out of her daze when the door opened again. She squinted as her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden burst of light. Having been in the dark for a while, she had become used to the darkness. But slowly, her vision adjusted and allowed her to see the Golden Freddy costume standing in the doorway. Once again, the Purple Guy made his way down the stairs, walking towards Fritz.  _

_ She watched as Fritz walked away weakly, shivering in the process. For a few moments. She saw him look back. In the dim lighting, she saw him mouth the word ‘goodbye.’ Lifting her hand, she gave him a small wave. As she lowered her hand, the door slammed shut, leaving just her and Gabriel in the room. After a few minutes, she turned to Gabriel.  _

_ “Am I going to be next?” asked Susie, her voice quivering out of fear.  _

_ She saw Gabriel look in her direction.  _

_ “Yes,” Gabriel said in a monotone.  _

_ Susie heard the lack of emotion in Gabriel’s voice. It startled her to hear or not hear it for that matter. To see him like this was strange, even for him. She looked down, hiding the stray tear that fell down her cheek. Her friend, someone she cared for, seemed not to notice that she was frightened. Let alone care enough to help her feel better.  _

_ “Sorry...I didn’t mean to sound so cold,” said Gabriel as if he had been reading her mind.  _

_ “I-it’s okay, Gabe. You’re probably just as scared as I am,” said Susie. “And if you tell anyone that I said I was scared, I will deny it.”  _

_ “If we survive this, that is,” added Gabriel.  _

_ “Yeah,  _ if _ we survive this…” said Susie, realizing that she could suffer the same fate that befell her other friends.  _

_ Sighing, Susie leaned back against the wall. For once, she didn’t care about the mold or the rotting body, which lay a few feet from her. All Susie cared about was the fact that she would never get the opportunity to see her mom again, that she’d never get another possibility to tell her that she loved her. Or have the chance to hang out with her friends anymore. As Susie started to think of her friends, she allowed herself to cry the tears she had been holding back. And once she started, she couldn’t stop.  _

_ She sobbed for a half-hour, not caring that Gabriel was next to her. If anything, that only made her sadness grow more as she knew they would eventually get separated from each other. But finally, Susie did manage to stop the flow of tears. She felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Almost numb from nearly crying her eyes out. Which, in a strange, almost twisted way, made her feel better. Better than she had since she had gotten trapped in the room. She glanced over at Gabriel, noting that he had a jacket on. Scooting closer to him, she braced herself with her hands.  _

_ “Hey Gabe, mind if I use your jacket for a pillow?” asked Susie, trying in vain to stifle a yawn.  _

_ “No, go ahead,” said Gabriel as he shook off his jacket. “Here you go, Susie.”  _

_ Susie took the jacket and balled it into a pillow-like shape. She rested it on the cleanest part of the floor she could find. Resting her hand on it, Susie closed her eyes. As sleep overtook her, she felt her muscles relax. It was calming to have the silence and the dark for the moment. She let her mind wander off, replaying memories to comfort her. _

_ Not long after Susie had managed to get some sleep, the Purple Guy came back in. There was a blood-covered ax in his left hand. The very one that he had used to kill Jeremy and Fritz. Slowly, watching his step, he made his way down the old wooden stairs. He stopped once he was standing over her sleeping her form. A snarl slipped from his lips as his eyes went black. Lifting the ax, he swung it down, hitting Susie's left knee.  _

_ Searing pain combined with throbbing brought Susie back to her reality. A guttural scream rang out from her throat as she felt a warm liquid run down her leg. The severity of the pain started to make her dizzy, leaving her unable to see clearly. Her leg moved as she pushed herself upward to a sitting position, causing the pain to increase in the process.  _

_ Shaking, she reached out a hand to her injured knee. She felt a deep gash that had gotten chopped into her knee cap. Her hand became covered in blood as she traced her fingers inside the fresh wound. Her hands felt warm and sticky as more of her blood covered it, turning it red in the process. The wound was open enough to allow her to feel the bone and muscle which resided in her body. She screamed out of pain and panic at being able to feel the inside of her. Still, she traced her finger around the wound, her morbid curiosity not letting her pull her hand. She could feel the throbbing of her skin as she ran her finger downward. The sensation was surreal, like holding her heart in her hands.  _

_ She slowly pulled her hand away, shaking off some of the blood that was on her hand. Her breathing was shaky as she struggled to cope with the pain. But she didn’t have time to recover when she felt something push against her arm.  _

_ “Oh great, you’re awake now. Now, walk you little fucker.” hissed the Purple Guy.  _

_ Susie looked up at him, his vision blurring with unshed tears. “How can I walk?! You injured my knee.”  _

_ “Oh, come on! I know that you can walk. So, walk!” shouted the Purple Guy, his anger building as he spoke.  _

_ Groaning, she attempted to stand on her injured knee. But just as she tried to put some of her weight on the knee, it buckled underneath, sending her back to the floor. Her knee slammed against the concrete floor, sending even more pain throughout her leg. In the fall, she felt her knee scrape across the rough concrete, ripping her skin even more. That elicited another banshee-like scream from her. With the pain increased, Susie started to cry as she couldn’t bear it anymore.  _

_ The Purple Guy heard her cries. That angered him enough that he readied the ax. Raising the ax once more, the Purple Guy swung and landed a severe blow to her left ankle. When he heard Susie let out an agonizing scream, he smiled gleefully. To him, the torture of young children was a pleasure he wished to continue.  _

_ “‘Okay, you little bitch, I am not going to carry you. So, get up and march up those stairs.” said the Purple Guy as he lifted Susie to her feet.  _

_ As Susie felt her weight rest on her injured leg, it took every bit of strength that she could muster not to fall again. Wincing, she took her first shaky step forward. Her ankle and knee screamed in protest to her moving them. As she took another step forward, her ankle twisted. She reached for the railing of the stairs as she struggled to keep her balance. Ignoring the pain in her left leg, she inched her way up the stairs. When she finally reached the door, she had gotten shoved out of the room. She barely managed to catch herself on the moldy wall in front of her.  _

_ "Come on, follow me. I want to show you something,” said the Purple Guy as he slammed the door behind him.  _

_ Unlike Jeremy and Fritz were, she didn't get led into the room. Instead, she had gotten led to the stage. As she limped towards the main stage, she used the wall for support, forgoing any thoughts about mold or feces. As she got to the end of the hallway leading to the stage, she stopped. The stage itself was dark, with the few minor lights that were nearby, giving it an eerie, ghostly glow. She stepped forward away from the wall, approaching Foxy. Though she was shrouded in limited lighting, she saw fresh blood oozing from every crevice of the animatronic fox. Curious, she touched the plastic, coating her hand in the red liquid.  _

_ “What the-is that blood?” asked Susie, staggering back from the animatronic.  _

_ The Purple Guy chuckled before saying, “Yes, it’s Jeremy’s blood.”  _

_ Susie gasped, horrified. She had just touched the blood of her once alive friend. Looking down at her hand, she was disgusted to find her friend’s blood still clinging to her skin. Out of disgust, she ran her hand along the wall, wiping a series of red streaks onto the moldy wallpaper. Just as she finished doing that, she heard something opening. Looking, she saw that the Purple Guy had opened the back of Foxy.  _

_ Now exposed was Jeremy’s body. Wires dug into the ashen skin of her friend, slicing it open and exposing the fleshy innards of his body. His muscles and bones were exposed, the gears and pipes pushing his skin and tissue back. It looked like something that came straight out of a horror movie. As she glanced up at one of the pipes, she saw a piece of bone trapped inside of it. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a part of Jeremy’s spine. She covered her mouth, looking shocked by the appalling sight.  _

_ “Oh come on, didn’t you enjoy that?” asked the Purple Guy as he took off the costume head, sniffing Jeremy’s blood and licking some of his blood off one of the pipes.  _

_ Susie turned her back to the sight of the Purple Guy licking the blood off of the pipe, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Only to be met with the view of Fritz’s body inside of Bonnie. She could see his body was in similar condition as Jeremy’s was. Wires were slicing through his skin. Gears shoved themselves into his muscles, making his blood the lubricant that kept them moving. Just like with Jeremy, his bones had become exposed, showing that his arms had gotten chopped off. As she shifted her gaze downward, she saw the grounded-up remains of what was Fritz’s arms. She leaned in closer, seeing something white sitting in the mass of muscle and tissue.  _

_ “Those are his teeth. I am very proud of how his body handled the new arrangement.” said the Purple Guy, walking towards Susie. “Aren’t you?”  _

_ She staggered backward, keeping away from the animatronics and the Purple Guy. She didn’t want to see the sight of her dead friends. Not anymore. Holding a hand over her mouth, she fought against her growing nausea. Just as she was about to run back down the hallway leading away from the stage, she felt a hand grab her wrist.  _

_ “Oh, you’re not going back.” said the Purple Guy. “Now, tell me. Did you enjoy the show?”  _

_ Susie shook her head. “No...I didn’t. You’re a monster.”  _

_ “Well, thank you, dear. You’re quite a little devil yourself.” said the Purple Guy as he set the costume head on the floor.  _

_ Susie struggled to free her hand from his grip. But the more she struggled, the tighter he made his grip. And with her leg still hurt immensely from the injuries Susie had suffered earlier, Susie was beginning to lose her strength. Looking down at her leg, she could see that it had become coated in a layer of dried blood.  _

_ “Yeah, you’re not going to make it out of here alive.” The Purple Guy started to pull her towards the animatronics. “The only way you are is through one of these.”  _

_ “Let me go, you creep!” screamed Susie at the top of her lungs.  _

_ That made the Purple Guy chuckle. “Scream all you want. Hell, scream till your throat is raw for all I fucking care. No one will ever hear you now.”  _

_ Those words made her stop. All her fighting was for naught – if there was no one to come to her aid, that left little doubt that she was going to die. Still fighting the pain of her leg, she stopped resisting the Purple Guy’s pull. What was the point in resisting anyway? All it would do was slow down her demise. But not enough to buy her time to be saved. And with her leg bleeding, she would likely die from blood loss soon.  _

_ “Glad you saw reason. Now, choose the lucky animatronic that will house your body.” said the Purple Guy as he shoved Susie towards Chica and Bonnie.  _

_ It took her a moment to process what he had said. She was still dealing with the realization that she was going to suffer the same fate that had befallen her friends. Being 11, she wasn’t ready to accept her death, nor could she accept that her friends had died in horrible ways.  _

_ Nonetheless, she glanced at the animatronic chicken first. From behind, the animatronic seemed even creepier. And with the ghostly lighting around them, it didn’t make the creepiness any less scary. She then turned her attention to Freddy. He didn’t look any less disturbing than Chica did, but he did have one thing going for him. And that was the fact that Susie didn’t hate him. At least, not as much as she did the chicken.  _

_ Susie was about to protest his choice when she was lifted and laid on his shoulder. Kicking and punching as hard as she could, she tried to make him let go of her. Yet, it was in vain because he just continued on as if Susie was doing nothing to him. It seemed like she was throwing punches that were feather-light. She watched helplessly as her body was brought closer and closer to the chicken animatronic.  _

_ “Please, don’t put in that one.” pleaded Susie, trying in vain to stop her imminent demise.  _

_ “Too late, you little fucker. You’re going to be in the chicken.” The Purple Guy said, throwing Susie down to the floor.  _

_ She screamed as she felt her injured knee and ankle contact with the hardwood of the stage floor. Barely having time to catch herself from falling, she held out hands, hoping to ease the blow. She nearly sprained her wrist, but she managed to catch herself. Adjusting her position, she pulled her injured knee to her chest. She watched as the back of Chica was opened. The yellow plastic squeaked as it had gotten pushed aside, revealing the metal and wires inside. From where she was sitting, she watched as the gears, cables, beams, and even a few ribs had gotten pushed aside. With them now pushed aside, she could see that she would fit if she squeezed herself into a ball.  _

_ The Purple Guy walked over to her, forcibly grabbing her forearm. She yelped as she yanked upwards onto her feet. For a split second, Susie almost lost her balance. Thankfully, she managed to regain it back and keep herself from falling. But the sudden action of standing on her ankle caused it to sprain.  _

_ “Get in, now!” barked the Purple Guy, clearly having lost all patience to deal with her.  _

_ She jumped into the animatronic, her chest landing on some of the gears. Groaning in pain, she forced her injured knee into the animatronic. She did her best not to scream as she bent it, but the motion caused her cut to open, making more blood pour from the wound. As the cut scraped across the metal and wires, she saw there was a trail of blood left behind. Finally, after she moved her knee, she started to stand up. Using the surrounding bars for support, she stood up inside of the animatronic.  _

_ “What are you going to do?” asked Susie as she looked at the Purple Guy.  _

_ “Nothing. I am going to let the animatronic handle the...messy stuff. Now, turn around.” replied the Purple Guy.  _

_ She turned around, and her face lined up with the facial area of the animatronic. Just as she had gotten herself situated, she heard several clicks before she felt the gears, metal, and assorted wires slam in on her. As the metal gears tore into her skin, she felt it ripping off her muscles. With the gears exposing her muscles, the wires sliced through the soft tissues on their way down to her bones. In an attempt to get away from the apparatus, Susie shifted her position. But that movement only resulted in one of the gears digging down to her bone, shattering it. She let out a terrified scream as the pain increased.  _

_ With the gears and wires now settled into place, she could feel her blood running down her arms and legs, lubricating the gears and joints. The amount of blood she was losing was starting to cause her to feel faint. But she was still aware enough to notice that the ribs of the animatronic were closing in around her. Ever so slowly, the metal ribs started to push against her shoulders and wrists. As the pressure increased, she felt the metal break her wrists as she fought feebly to keep them from crushing her. Another scream escaped from her throat as the metal bars broke her shoulders.  _

_ By now, the wires had started to cut off blood flow in certain areas while increasing it in others. Susie couldn’t feel her left arm or leg due to the circulation getting cut off for so long. Her right side faired a bit better as she could still barely feel her right arm. She slowly blinked as she saw her vision blur and darken as more of her blood pooled at the bottom of the animatronic.  _

_ Just as she was starting to slip into unconsciousness, she heard a clicking sound followed by several beams that shoved themselves inside her already weakened body. One beam shoved itself deep into her gut, pushing her intestinal tract outside of her body. A series of groans slipped from her lips as two poles shoved themselves into her kneecaps, shattering them in the process of pushing out the other side. There was another beam that managed to find its way through her left arm, ripping off her forearm tendon by tendon and leaving her elbow joint intact and exposed. A river of blood poured from the open injury and the loss of the lower limb. _

_ As all the wires, gears, ribs, and metal bars had finally slowed their progression into her body, she heard the Purple Guy move behind her. If she could, she would’ve turned around to see what he was doing. But all she could do was stand there, hoping that death would come quickly.  _

_ “Good...bye…” uttered Susie just before her skull had gotten forcibly smashed into the facial plate of the animatronic.  _

_ As her body went limp, her chest fell forward onto the bars and beams in front of her. That resulted in more blood streaming from her open chest wound. With her body oozing blood form about every orifice possible, she felt her strength seeping. The last thing she saw was a dark room with no one but her and her now-dead friends. No one nearby to save her or her friends from the horrible death that was getting forced upon them. One...last...breath was forced out as Susie's lungs used the last remaining strength in her body. _

*** *** *** ***   
  
Sunset Shimmer was immediately brought back to consciousness as she pushed out of Chica’s memories. But just as she was beginning to regain her balance, she felt something hit her, sending her flying towards a wall. Her back slammed hard against a brick wall behind her, knocking the air from her lungs. Simultaneously, her head hit the wall in sync with her back. Slowly, her back scraped across the bricks as she slid downward, unable to support herself. Groaning, she looked up as she saw Chica’s wing lowering. 

“Sunset!” shouted the girls as they ran over to their friend. 

As the girls got closer, Fluttershy walked over to where their friend was sitting. “Sunset, are you okay?” asked Fluttershy, holding her hand out for Sunset. 

Blinking, Sunset Shimmer looked at Fluttershy. Her vision was a bit blurry around the edges, making her think she had suffered a small concussion. Aside from her blurry vision, her head was also pounding. Most likely from her slamming it into the wall behind her. She closed her eyes for a moment, easing the growing headache. 

“Y-yeah, I think...so., replied Sunset, taking Fluttershy’s outstretched hand and standing up, leaning against the wall with her other one as she felt dizzy from the sudden movement. 

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle collapsed to the ground as her magic faded out, releasing Chica from the grasp. As she felt her body fall onto the cold pavement, the girls – except Sunset – ran up to her. With blurring vision, she watched as the redhead stood where she was. She knew why she had chosen to stay there – more than she was willing to admit, especially to herself. As she struggled to remain conscious, her body fought against her. 

Sunset Shimmer wanted to be there, to be by Twilight’s side, but she couldn’t. Twilight Sparkle had made it very clear that she didn’t want her close. Not unless she was willing to be honest about her past. To let her in on the dark chapter that hung over her head. She knew that she deserved the truth, to know that she wasn’t alone. Yet, she was still struggling with letting her close. Even if it meant she was hurt by Twilight’s pushing her to the outside. Behind her, she heard a high pitched squeaking noise. She turned around to see that Chica was starting to move. 

“Susie? Are you okay?” asked Sunset, running over to the animatronic chicken. 

*** *** *** ***

While that was happening, Springtrap hid behind a corner near where the girls were. He had been patiently watching the girls restrain the animatronic while their redheaded friend did the same thing she had done to the other one. When he heard the name Susie, something clicked in his head. Looking down at the ground, he tried to remember where he had heard the name before. 

_ “Wait a minute, does she mean...Susie? The little fucker whose leg I messed up?!” _ thought Springtrap.  _ “They can’t be bringing these children back, can they?” _

“W-who are you?” asked Susie, finally taking control of the animatronic. “Wh-where am I?” 

_ “Shit, they are. But how?” _ asked Springtrap in his head.

As he looked at the girls, he noticed that there were some...changes going on with Twilight Sparkle. He saw what appeared to be small splotches of dark purple spots on her one arm. And from where he was, he could see that it was slowly spreading down her arm, covering her lavender skin tone. But that wasn’t the only change that appeared to be happening to their friend either. It seemed there was a pair of wings starting to protrude from her shoulder blades. 

_ “Well, well, well, it seems those school bitches have a few problems of their own.” _ thought Springtrap gleefully. 

He glanced over at Sunset Shimmer, noticing that she wasn’t around Twilight. Having seen the two girls fighting the previous day, he was aware that there were problems between them. Or at least, it appeared to be that way. If that was the case, he could use the cracks in their friendship to distract the girls. But for now, he figured that it was safer if they weren’t aware of his presence. Not yet, anyway. The time would come when it came. 

Ducking behind the corner he was hiding behind, he started to walk back to the electrical building. He knew that he needed to come up with a way to prevent them from finding the rest of the animatronics. To keep them from bringing back the annoying kids. Dealing with the brats once was bad enough. Then having to return to dismantle the animatronics they inhabited was a headache all its own. He hadn’t managed to succeed in that task. It was because of his attempt to dismantle the animatronics that landed him in one himself. 

_ “I will get my revenge on those kids, even if the girls get involved…” _

*** *** *** ***

Applejack knelt next to Twilight Sparkle, resting her hand on her shoulder. It felt icy cold like her body had lost all warmth and was dead. She eyed Twilight, hoping to see any signs that she was still alive. Luckily, she got her answer in the form of Twilight blinking. She sighed with relief, but it didn’t last long. A spark of magic flew from Twilight’s geode, causing her to step back. The rest of the girls followed suit as more sparks flew from her geode, landing on the ground in front of her. 

“Susie, I am Sun-” 

Sunset Shimmer had gotten cut off as she felt Applejack’s boot bump into her leg, causing her to look away from Susie. What she saw was Twilight’s skin slowly darkening, becoming the same color as it was when she had become Midnight Sparkle. She covered her mouth in shock at what she was witnessing. To see her friend being affected by equestrian magic again was something she wished she didn’t notice, especially when she knew the effect it had on her. 

Twilight Sparkle sat up slowly, the blurriness fading from her vision. There was a mild stinging sensation running up her arm, prompting her to look down. As she watched, she saw that her arm was completely dark purple, contrasting with her other arm, which was starting to show the same splotches that turned her one arm dark purple. 

“What the-? No…” whispered Twilight, running a hand along her arm. 

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, she felt a searing pain, almost like a hot iron was getting pressed to her gums. Her canine teeth specifically started to hurt more and more. Raising her hand to her teeth, she felt them become sharper until they were elongated fangs. The feeling of the sharp points on her fingertips made her yank her hand away. 

“No, it can’t be. That’s not possible…” Twilight muttered as she stared down at her hand. 

Her vision became blurry once more as her eyes started to change. The whites of her eyes slowly became a pale grey. Continuing, the change spread to her irises, changing from a violet color to mulberry. She regained her vision as the transformation moved from her eyes. Once she was able to see again, she examined her clothes. To her surprise, she saw that they had remained untouched, unlike the last time she had transformed into Midnight Sparkle. Wanting to see if her glasses remained, she reached up. When she felt the frames of her cat-eye glasses, she was grateful that they hadn’t erupted into flames.

Suddenly, a wave of intense heat hit her shoulder blades. The pain was comparable to an open flame getting held to her skin. It was soon followed by a stinging and pinching sensation which spread throughout her back. She reached behind her, touching the edge of her shoulder blade. Through her shirt, she could feel the heat radiating off her body. As she slowly moved her hand down, a dark purple, feathered wing sprouted from her shoulder blade, ripping her shirt as it extended outwards. Seconds later, the other one appeared as well, causing another rip. 

Tentatively, Twilight Sparkle reached a hand towards one of the two wings. As her fingertips brushed against the feathers, she could feel the touch. That took her by surprise, making her pull her hand away immediately. 

“They’re really attached...to me…” 

The words fell from her lips, yet she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When she felt her wings pull behind her, she yelped as a few feathers brushed against her skin. It was so foreign to feel her  _ own _ feathers against her skin. But just as she had gotten lost in the sensation of having feathers, she felt something sprout from her tail bone. Looking behind her, she saw it was a tail that matched her hair color, down to the magenta streak. Curious, she attempted to flick her tail as a horse’s would. Unsurprisingly, it responded to the command, brushing against the pavement. 

Feeling that her transformation had finished, she pushed herself up to her knees. She attempted to stand, but once she was fully upright, the full weight of her wings caused her to lose her balance. She was sent back to the ground, her knees and elbows scraping along the pavement. Her body ached, struggling to recover from the transformation. Blinking, she turned to face her friends. 

Sunset Shimmer gasped quietly, covering her mouth as she saw Twilight’s eyes. They were mulberry, their violet color having disappeared during the transformation. She didn’t know what shocked her more, the two giant wings that had sprouted from her friend’s shoulder blades. Or the fact that her friend no longer looked like her friend anymore. She looked like Midnight Sparkle, yet she didn’t at the same time. It was like the transformation just transferred some traits of Twilight’s she-demon form to her natural look. 

Applejack and the rest of the girls backed away from their friend as she looked at them. Their eyes were wide with fear, not sure if they could trust their friend anymore. They all stared at her, like a deer in the headlights. Like Sunset Shimmer, they couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Especially after the events that occurred at the Friendship Games and the Fall Formal. The cowgirl felt Rarity grip her arm tightly as she stepped closer to her. That prompted her to rest a hand over the fashionista’s in a comforting gesture. 

“Sunset is that…” Applejack couldn’t look at Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to ask the question. 

“Midnight Sparkle?” I-I...don’t know, AJ.” replied Sunset Shimmer, stepping back from Twilight as she mentioned the name of her demon form. 

Twilight Sparkle moaned as she pushed herself back to a sitting position. Her knees and elbows throbbed from the impact against the pavement. But she didn’t care about the physical pain her body was feeling. She was more focused on why something seemed off about her friends. Earlier, they had been around her, but when her geode malfunctioned, they backed away. But why? As her wings draped themselves over her shoulder, she understood why they had backed away. 

_ “They backed away because I transformed...into Midnight Sparkle.” _ thought Twilight as she glanced down at her hands.  _ “Are they...afraid?” _

“Yeah, probably. You now look like a she-demon, so the girls most likely think you are Midnight Sparkle,” said Twilight’s inner voice. 

_ “Midnight Sparkle?” _ asked Twilight. 

“Yep. The girls think you have completely become Midnight Sparkle, that you are no longer you,” replied Twilight Sparkle's inner voice.

_ “But I am not Midnight Sparkle. I am me, Twilight Sparkle,” _ said Twilight, not wanting to believe that her friends would think that way about her. 

“Well, convince them that you’re not Midnight Sparkle, but do it carefully.” Her inner voice said, warning her.

As she glanced up from her hands, she met Sunset Shimmer’s eyes from a moment. She could see a growing fear in her cyan eyes. That hurt to see it, but she understood why it was there. After all, she had transformed back into Midnight Sparkle right in front of her. It made sense that she didn’t know whether or not that she could trust her. Yet, as much as she understood Sunset’s reason for being wary of her, she couldn’t help but feel the blow of realizing she feared her. Combined with the fact that she knew she was hiding something, something that could be very similar to her experience, it only stung more.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight’s fear-stricken eyes. It pained her to see her friend look so frightened. Though, she knew that she wasn’t making the situation any better. She knew that Twilight Sparkle could see the fear that she was terrible at hiding. That made her look away as she remembered how the girls had reacted at the Fall Formal. They were afraid of her as well. Now, here she was, doing the same thing to her friend. It didn’t feel right to her. 

“It’s not right. You should be helping Twilight, not acting like Twilight is someone not to trust.” Sunset’s inner voice chirped. 

_ “But what if she is actually Midnight Sparkle?” _ asked Sunset, glancing briefly at Twilight. 

“If that was the case, why would you still refer to her as  _ your _ friend? You know as well as I that she is still Twilight.” said her inner voice. “So, do the right thing and support her.” 

Sunset Shimmer swallowed, her throat clenching tight as she struggled to push past her doubt. She knew her conscience was right – she had to do the right thing and support Twilight. Not give in to her fear and leave her with no one. With renewed strength, she forced herself to look up and meet Twilight’s gaze. 

“Mid-Twilight?” asked Sunset, correcting herself as she asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope everyone has a great V-Day if you like celebrating it. And if you don't I still hope your day is awesome! Enjoy the chapter.


	9. Night 9: The Truthfully True Trial of Truth

“S-Sunset? What ha-happened to me?” asked Twilight, struggling to speak to her friends. 

Sunset Shimmer could hear the tremble in Twilight’s voice, which made her glance at her friends, wondering how they were reacting. She could see that they were just as terrified as she was. That made her guilt at her doubts and fear grow even more. It was one thing that they had their doubts about her being their friend, but it was another thing for them to show their friend actively. Seeing their fear, Sunset Shimmer understood exactly why Twilight sounded hurt. Her attention was drawn back to Twilight when she heard her struggling to stand up. Without even hesitating, she ran over to her. 

“It’s okay, Twi,” said Sunset Shimmer as she held out a hand for Twilight. 

Twilight Sparkle looked behind Sunset, seeing the rest of the girls back away further from her. Even though Sunset Shimmer was standing next to her, they still seemed afraid...of her. Turning her attention to her Sunset, she tentatively grabbed her hand. As she felt herself getting pulled up, she tried to keep her wings to herself. She didn’t want her wings to extend for fear of increasing her friends’ fear of her. As soon as Sunset Shimmer let go of her hand, she saw her back away slightly. 

“You’re all afraid of me. Aren’t you?!” screamed Twilight Sparkle as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. 

Twilight Sparkle looked at Fluttershy, wondering if the shyest of their friends was also afraid as well. A part of her wanted not to see fear, but kindness, acceptance, or some shred of how her friend usual was. She saw Fluttershy step forward for a moment, albeit tentatively and with hesitation. Trying to ease her fear, she gave her a small smile. But unfortunately, she smiled more than she intended to, revealing her newly acquired fangs in the process. In turn, that made the shy girl squeal and hide behind her hair. 

_ “No, I didn’t...I am sorry…” _ thought Twilight, her gaze shifting frantically between her friends. 

“Sugarcube...are you okay?” asked Applejack, taking a few cautious steps closer to Twilight. 

Seeing Applejack step closer to her, Twilight Sparkle panicked and stepped back from her. In her panic, she looked at Sunset Shimmer. She wanted her support – she needed it. Yet, she couldn’t find it in herself to let her help. Not if it meant she was going to get hurt again. Not if she was right about Sunset Shimmer not trusting her because she still saw her as Midnight Sparkle. Unfurling her wings instinctively, she staggered away from the girls. 

Sunset’s heart heaved in her chest as she watched Twilight Sparkle fearfully back away from her friends. That was enough to make her force her fear and doubts aside. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she ran up to her, grabbing her shoulders. She didn’t care that the others were watching as she slowly moved her hands from Twilight’s shoulders, grabbing her hands in a tight grip. Leaning forward, she met her eyes. 

“Twilight, we’re not afraid of you. Believe me,” said Sunset, a calmness in her voice. 

Twilight Sparkle looked down, her thumb caressing the back of the redhead’s hand. “I-I don’t know if I can believe you, Sunset.” 

But she wanted to. She wanted to believe what Sunset Shimmer said was true that they weren’t afraid – that she wasn’t scared. Yet, there was something in her eyes that made her unable to believe what her friend had said. A fear that was still present in her eyes contrasting with the calmness of her words. Twilight Sparkle tried to pull her hands away from Sunset’s grip, but she couldn’t do it. 

“You’re afraid of me because I look like Midnight Sparkle, aren’t you Sunset?” asked Twilight, looking up to meet Sunset’s eyes. 

The question took her by complete surprise. Sunset Shimmer didn’t expect Twilight Sparkle to confront her upright about being afraid. She had tried to hide it, for Twilight’s sake. But it seemed that despite her efforts, her fear still showed through. She swallowed, trying to keep herself calm. Biting her lip, she forced herself to speak. 

“I-I…” The words struggled to come to her. Though, looking at Twilight Sparkle, Sunset couldn’t help but be honest with her. “Maybe…” 

As she heard Sunset Shimmer say maybe, Twilight Sparkle yanked her hands free from Sunset’s grasp and stepped back. That was all the confirmation she needed to prove that she was right. Her theory about Sunset Shimmer being panicked around her because of her being Midnight Sparkle was correct. And to add insult to injury, she had to learn that while she  _ looked _ like her. Giving her wings a quick flap, she turned her back to her friends. 

“Sparky, I…” 

“Don’t Sunset. I am sorry that you are afraid of me..” said Twilight as she looked up at the night sky. 

“Twilight-” started Sunset Shimmer as she stepped forward towards Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer had gotten cut off as she watched Twilight Sparkle extend her wings. She ran up to her with her hand outstretched, but she was too late. Twilight was already in the air, flying off into the sky. Standing there, watching her fly off, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for admitting her own fear. She gripped her arm, looking down in shame. She had been honest about how she felt, but it backfired on her. Her friend had chosen to push her aside because she had admitted her fear of her. Now, she understood why Twilight Sparkle had looked so hurt that day at lunch when she had done the same thing. 

“Sunset, where could’ve Twilight disappeared to?” asked Applejack as she approached Sunset with Rarity coming with her.

“I know of a place, girls. But I can’t be sure she’ll be there,” said Sunset, turning around to face her friends. “We’ll need to split up.” 

Rarity removed her hands from around Applejack’s arm, gripping her hand. “I’ll go with her.” 

“And I will go with Pinkie Pie and make sure she doesn’t get distracted...too many.” Rainbow Dash said, slinging her arm around Pinkie Pie’s shoulders.

“Then, I will go with Fluttershy,” Sunset Shimmer said, walking over to Fluttershy. “We’ll text each other if we find Twilight, agreed?” 

“Agreed.” The girls shouted in unison.

Susie groaned as she sat up, looking at the girls. She had been watching the scene play out with Twilight and Sunset. Susie had seen the fight between them. It reminded her of when she and Gabriel had committed their first murders. That had caused them to not talk to each other because they were ashamed of what they had done. From what she had seen, it seemed that Sunset and her friend were also heading down that same road as well. She used her wings to push herself to a standing position. 

“Um, I hate to intrude, but can one of you please help me find my friends?” asked Susie as she walked up to the girls. 

Sunset Shimmer turned her attention to Susie, saying, “We know where your friends are, Susie.” 

“You do? Where are they?!” asked Susie, excited to be getting a chance to see her friends again. 

Applejack cleared her throat. “They’re at my house, waiting in a barn to see you.” 

That news made Susie squeal happily. To be able to see her friends again was some of the best news she had received in years. Sure, she had been around them for years trapped in the pizzeria. But for most of their time there, they weren’t themselves or aware of each other. After having committed several murders, they had collectively chosen to forget themselves and hide inside the animatronics. She couldn’t even remember the last real conversation they had together as friends. It had been so long since they had one.

“Can we go see them now?” Susie asked, barely able to contain her excitement. 

Sunset Shimmer rubbed her neck, not wanting to say that she wanted to find Twilight first. “Um…” 

Sensing what Sunset wanted to say, Rarity interjected, saying, “What our friend is trying to say is that we would like to be able to locate our friend first.” 

Susie nodded. “That is fine. I understand wanting to find your friend.” 

“So, you won’t mind if we find her first?” asked Sunset. 

“Not at all. I will help you find Twilight,” said Susie, resting a wing on Sunset’s shoulder. 

“Okay, well, let’s go,” said Rainbow Dash. 

Applejack and Rarity were the first of the girls to leave. As they exited the alleyway, they turned left, heading to Twilight’s house in hopes that she’d be there. Behind them were Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They walked out of the alleyway and turned right, heading towards the local library. With the four girls now gone, that left Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, and Susie standing in the near-empty alley. 

“Sunset?” asked Fluttershy, keeping her voice calm and steady as she tried not to let Susie know she was terrified of her. 

“What, Fluttershy?” asked Sunset. 

“I was just wondering, where should we go” Fluttershy hid behind her hair, keeping Susie out of her line of sight.

Sunset Shimmer let out a heavy sigh, she wanted to find Twilight Sparkle but by herself. She needed that chance to talk to her alone. To have a chance at explaining her past before anyone found them. She needed to know that no one was going to interrupt them and ruin her chance. But she also didn’t want to leave Fluttershy to search for Twilight on her own either. 

“Fluttershy, would you mind if I searched for Twilight...by myself?” asked Sunset, involuntarily wincing as she waited for Fluttershy’s response. 

Fluttershy gave Sunset Shimmer a small smile as she rested her hand on her shoulder. She knew what she wanted, and she was okay with it too. Despite her efforts, she still feared Twilight’s new appearance. Though, she was willing to try and work on it. Plus, she had a feeling one of the places Sunset wanted to visit was the Everfree forest. And the idea of venturing into the dark woods at night didn’t seem too appealing to her.    
  
“Yeah, you can. I will check to see if Twilight is at the dog park,” said Fluttershy, squeezing Sunset’s shoulder. 

“And I will join you,” added Susie, stepping closer to Fluttershy. 

“Um...okay,” Fluttershy whispered, not totally on board with Susie joining her. 

Sunset Shimmer managed to give them a weak smile before it fell. What happened earlier weighed on her. And the earlier conversation with Rainbow Dash still rang in her head. She had sworn to tell Twilight Sparkle the truth, to be honest about her bad past. Her nerves had become rattled, but that was understandable. Admitting that she was a rather mean person that was a full one-eighty from the person she was now was a  _ very _ nerve-wracking experience. 

“Thanks, Shy. I really appreciate that,” said Sunset. 

“You’re welcome, Sunset.” Fluttershy let her hand fall from the redhead’s shoulder as she started to walk towards the end of the alleyway. “I hope everything goes okay with Twilight.” 

“Me too.” Sunset Shimmer pulled her leather jacket tighter around her, fighting to keep the chill of the fall wind from getting to her.

With that, Fluttershy sent a quick text to all the girls, explaining the change of plans with her and Sunset. She gave her a small wave before she and Susie walked out of the alleyway. She made her way down the somewhat lit streets of Canterlot City, heading towards the dog park. That left Sunset standing alone in the alley with the fading light of the evening. 

*** *** *** ***   
  
Rarity and Applejack were walking down the street, heading towards Twilight’s house. They had only been there a handful of times as Twilight was pretty secretive about her room. Though they didn’t understand why she was, she had been to all their houses numerous times, mainly Sunset’s house. Nonetheless, they didn’t question it and just accepted it. As they neared the front gate, they hesitated. 

“Do you think Twilight’s goin’ to be here? She doesn’t exactly look like...herself,” asked Applejack.

Rarity looked at the cowgirl. She had the same doubts as her friend. But, this was one option in a list of options. Albeit, it was unlikely to be viable. Though, there was a chance that Twilight had gone here. No matter how small. 

“I don’t know, AJ. But we owe it to her to try,” she replied, her hand resting on the gate’s latch. 

With a reassuring smile, Applejack opened the gate with Rarity. They made their way up the driveway, stopping once they reached the front door. Rarity was the one who knocked. She was nervous, making her hand shake as she hit the door three times. Lowering her hand, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. Looking at Applejack, she gave her friend – and secret crush – a grateful smile. Having Applejack there, she felt better. She stepped back as she waited for Twilight’s mother to answer the door.

A few moments later, the door opened, and Mrs. Velvet stood in the doorway. Behind her stood Mr. Light, her husband. 

“Hello, Rarity and Applejack. How are you two doing?” asked Mrs. Velvet. 

“We’re doing good, Mrs. Velvet,” said Applejack. “We were wondering if you have seen Twilight?” 

“Mhm, no, I haven’t. Have you, dear?” asked Mrs. Velvet, turning to her husband. 

“No, I haven’t either,” replied Mr. Light, looking from his wife to the girls. “Is everything okay with her?” 

“Yeah, we’re just trying to see if Twilight was here.” Rarity lied, giving Twilight’s parents a nervous smile. 

Mr. Light arched an eyebrow, saying, “Isn’t she usually with you, girls?” 

“And she was. But something came up for her, and we’re just hoping to make sure that everything was okay,” said Applejack, taking the attention off Rarity, giving her a chance to calm down. 

“Hmm, well, try the school library. Twilight has spent a lot of her time there,” suggested Mrs. Velvet. 

“Thanks, Mrs. Velvet. We’ll check there next.” Applejack finished with her signature sweet country girl smile. 

“Okay, girls. See you later,” said Mrs. Velvet before closing the front door and walking back inside her house. 

The girls made their way past the gate, locking it behind them as they left the house. Once they were far enough down the street, they looked at each other and exhaled in unison. Having to cover for Twilight wasn’t easy, especially when her parents were involved. 

“Well, that could’ve gone better,” said Rarity. 

“Yeah, I agree. But let’s go see if Twilight is at the library.” Applejack said, starting to walk down the street. 

As they walked down the street, heading towards the school, Applejack stole a glance at Rarity. For a moment, she admired the stunning beauty that was her friend. The delicate, gem-like features, the beautiful blue-purple hair that fell below her shoulders, and the way her skin shone like a diamond in the moonlight. She wondered if her skin was as soft as it looked. Still gazing at her, she saw Rarity’s blue eyes meet hers. When the light hit them, it was like two sapphires staring back at her. Realizing that she was starting to stare, she cleared her head, focusing on Twilight and finding her. 

“Do you think that Twilight will be there?” asked Applejack. 

“I-I don’t know, AJ. But I am worried about her. The way she looked at us when she realized that we were scared of her. I feel terrible that I felt that way…” replied Rarity, looking down at the sidewalk beneath her feet. 

“Yeah, I know. I shouldn't have acted the way I did either,” added Applejack. 

With that hanging in the air, both remained silent for the rest of the walk to the school. Internally, both of them started to ponder what the other felt. Neither could admit they liked the other, afraid that their feelings wouldn’t get reciprocated. Yet, little did they know, they both felt the same way about each other. The real question wasn’t if they liked each other, but rather when each was going to admit it to the other. Finally, after half an hour of walking, they reached the school just as Sunset showed up. 

“Hey, Sunset! Where’d Fluttershy and Susie go looking for Twilight?” asked Applejack as she approached Sunset. 

Sunset Shimmer stopped running for a moment. She had temporarily forgotten that Fluttershy and Susie had gone on their own. As she looked at her friends, her throat closed up, making it hard to swallow. Her mind was still racing with thoughts about how she was going to confess her past to Twilight without freaking her out. And Sunset Shimmer couldn’t – no, wouldn’t – admit that she wanted to be alone with her. Whether she liked it or not, Sunset knew that Rainbow Dash had a point earlier. She had to be honest with Twilight Sparkle about her past, no matter the reaction.

Walking up to Applejack, she said, “Oh, uh Fluttershy went to the dog park to see if Twilight might’ve flown there.” 

Applejack nodded. “Okay. Have you seen Twilight at all yet?” 

“No, not yet,” replied Sunset, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. 

“Where are you headed, Sunset?” asked Rarity. 

“I am going to the bleachers to see if Twilight might be there,” replied Sunset quickly. “See you girls later.” 

Before either Applejack or Rarity could ask her any more questions, Sunset Shimmer ran off. Her feet pounded against the pavement as she rounded the corner to the bleachers. Immediately, she went to her secret spot, knowing that Twilight Sparkle had come to call that spot her own as well. When she got there, all she found was two squirrels hanging out. They quickly scurried away as she walked closer to them. 

_ “Okay, this is just great. If Twilight isn’t here, then where can she be?” _ thought Sunset. 

She leaned against the side of the bleachers, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to recall any other places that Twilight could’ve gone. As her mind raced about the possible locations, she remembered the clearing that was by the road leading back into the city. That was the clearing that she realized what her powers were. And where she first realized that Twilight was afraid that Midnight Sparkle was coming back. Though, looking back on it now, she could see that Twilight’s fears had gotten justified now. Pushing off the bleachers, she started the long trek to the clearing. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far from the school. 

*** *** *** ***   
  
Twilight Sparkle was flying overhead, enjoying the feeling of the wind rustling against her feathers. She flew over the everfree forest, seeing the spot where Sunset Shimmer managed to talk her down from her fears of Midnight Sparkle coming back. She decided that it was a decent spot to land and started to dive down towards it. Nearing the clearing, she stopped her dive and hovered above the ground. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, being careful to avoid hitting any tree branches as she did so. Once she felt her feet touch solid ground, she let herself collapse to her knees. 

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the sobs she had been holding back previously fell. She was Midnight Sparkle again, at least through appearance. Which, to her, was a great relief. Yet, this time it seemed different than last. It seemed that this time she was in control of herself. As she knelt there on the ground, she glanced down at her hands. 

_ “Is it possible that I may have my...powers? Could I still open portals?” _ thought Twilight as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. 

Wanting to test her theory, she lifted her hand outward and allowed herself to use the magic that flowed through her. A blast of bright blue light shot from her hand. She watched in amazement as the beam of light expanded. After letting the beam hit the forest floor for a few seconds, she lowered her hand. What she was expecting was a portal to be right where magic hit, but there was none. All that remained from the blast was scorch marks and a deep hole where the explosion hit.   
  
“Woah…” said Twilight, surprised by what she had done. “It’s probably best I don’t use my new magic too much.” 

Standing up, Twilight Sparkle walked over to a nearby tree. Seating herself beneath its branches, she wrapped her wings around her body. The warmth that came from the still somewhat unsettling action was comforting to her. As the cold fall wind blew past her, she felt the outer layer of her feathers rustle in the breeze. Yet, the bonus of having feathered wings meant she didn’t feel the chill of the wind. 

“Oh…” Twilight Sparkle felt another stream of tears fall as her mind went back to Sunset Shimmer and her reaction. “If she didn’t trust me before I looked like Midnight, she won’t trust me now that I do.” 

Just as those words slipped from her mouth, she heard some nearby bushes rustle behind her. She spun around to see what it was that dared to ruin her quiet moment. Slowly, she let her wings rest back against her sides, allowing herself to get noticed. Out of the bushes, she saw specks of red and yellow hair. She knew all too well who it was that was making their way into the clearing. That made Twilight pull her wings around herself again. She didn’t want to see Sunset Shimmer, despite knowing that deep down she  _ did _ want to. 

Sunset Shimmer pushed a large branch out of her way as she stepped into the clearing. She looked up and had gotten met with the sight of a mass of dark purple feathers crouched under a tree. There was Twilight Sparkle, sitting there and facing away from her. For a split second, she reached for her phone. She knew she should text her friends to let them know that she had found their friend. Yet, there was a nagging voice in her head saying this might be her only chance to talk to Twilight. Alone, without worry that the girls would show up. Making her choice, she moved her hand away from her phone and walked over to where Twilight was. She sat down on a boulder that was nearby, resting her arms on her knees.

“Twilight…?” 

Her voice quivered as she spoke. She tried to sound like her typical self, but her nervousness at having to be honest was making that task near impossible. As if being honest wasn’t hard enough on its own. Looking down, she noticed that her hands were shaking. Whether from the cold fall air or her nervousness, she couldn’t tell. Probably both. 

“Twilight, please talk to me,” begged Sunset, her voice shaking more with each syllable she said. 

Hearing the desperation in the redhead’s voice, Twilight Sparkle let her wings relax, resting at her sides. She didn’t look at Sunset Shimmer as she glanced up. It was too hard to face her friend after hearing her admit that she was afraid of her. That pain had only gotten worse when it confirmed her theory about Sunset Shimmer not being open with her was about her being Midnight Sparkle. Despite that, it pained her to see her friend so distraught, even when that said friend had hurt her previously. Taking a deep breath, she forced her to say something. 

“What, Sunset?” asked Twilight, her voice steady but weak. “What exactly do you want me to say to you? Especially after you admitted to me that you feared me…” 

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, regretting her earlier actions. She hadn’t meant to hurt Twilight when she admitted that she might’ve feared her. She regretted it the second she said maybe to the question. Watching her expression go from worried to saddened was pure torture for her. She realized that admitting her fear at the moment was the wrong choice to make. One that affected Twilight Sparkle deeply. She could tell by the stern tone in her voice, despite the weakness and calmness of her voice. 

“Twilight, I have something to tell you.” Sunset stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I wasn’t the...nicest person before you met me.” 

That made Twilight Sparkle look at Sunset Shimmer, her mulberry eyes full of curiosity and confusion. Her anger had gotten momentarily forgotten as she realized what Sunset was doing. She realized that she was going to hear the truth about her past. And that excited her, though she didn’t let it show. She wanted to know who the redhead was before she met her at the Friendship Games. 

“What do you mean you weren’t the  _ nicest _ person?” asked Twilight, trying to contain the hopeful tone in her voice. 

“Twilight, I mean, I wasn’t always nice. I used to be a bully,” replied Sunset. “I manipulated the girls and tore their friendship apart.” 

Twilight Sparkle furrowed her eyebrows. It was hard to picture the girl in front of her as a bully. Sure, she had seen her temper a couple of times. Said temper did make Sunset Shimmer appear to be mean when she got out of control, but she usually apologized right afterward. To try and imagine her being mean without caring about the people she hurt, it was a challenge for her. She stood up from where she was sitting and walked over to where the redhead was sitting. 

“What did you do to them?” asked Twilight, sitting in front of Sunset. 

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Well, the beginning of my freshman year, I ruined Fluttershy’s silent auction by sending a fake text to Pinkie Pie, saying that she wanted to use noisemakers and fireworks for a big party.” 

As she started to recount all the things she did in her past, images flashed across her mind. She could see the glee-filled smile she had as she watched Fluttershy shrink away from the loud noises. It made her sick to her stomach to see how she used to enjoy seeing others suffering. Swallowing, she pushed the image aside only to have it replaced with another more sickening image. She saw herself towering over the shy girl, her shadowed face hiding the sinister grin she was supporting. The memory replayed itself as if wanting to torment her for revealing it to Twilight. Closing her eyes, Sunset forced the memory aside, not letting another second replay inside her mind. 

Twilight Sparkle listened intently to what Sunset Shimmer was saying, ignoring the swishing of her tail behind her. She was intrigued by what she was hearing, and by the reaction her friend was having as she was telling her about it. She could see the toll it was having on her to bring the memories back to the surface. That only made her want to listen even more to make sure she heard everything. 

“Later that year, I messed with Rarity, sending her a fake email from Pinkie saying that she didn’t want any help with the Fall Formal. Or any of the school functions that she tried to help Pinkie with.” continued Sunset, pushing herself to admit the truth. “That was when I noticed a huge rift growing amongst the girls.” 

Admitting what she did to the girls aloud was a struggle. Since the Battle of the Bands, she had forced the memories aside, wanting to forget that they ever happened. All they were was painful reminders that she messed up and ruined the lives of terrific friends. It was one thing to hear others talk about what she did, but to have to talk about it was another thing. So much so that she herself rarely did it. Yet, she found herself able to admit what her actions were, even though it was painful to do it. Looking up, she continued. 

“A few months into sophomore year, I heard that Applejack was having a bake sale at her family’s farm. So, me being the manipulative alpha bitch I was, then decided to mess with them. Out of the girls, they were the only two I had yet to mess with, and I wanted to change that. So, I told Rainbow Dash that Applejack had moved her bake sale to another date.” said Sunset, looking to the other side, away from Twilight.

Twilight could tell that as Sunset Shimmer recalled the memories of her past, she was struggling to continue. She could see that she was letting herself be vulnerable instead of deflecting to something else. It was amazing to see a sensitive side to Sunset that she didn’t get to see often. That made her move closer to the redhead, resting her hand on her knee. She kept her wings at her side, so it was not to freak her out. With her wings safely at her side, she scooted closer to her. 

“Is that all?” asked Twilight Sparkle as Sunset met her gaze. 

“I wish it was Twi. But as the Spring Formal came along, Rarity had decided to run for Spring Formal Princess. And at the time, I wanted to be the only one to win the crown. So, I got some...personal photos of hers. Just before the election was to begin, I released a video I had made using the photos and some embarrassing recordings I got myself.” Sunset cringed as she recalled the video she had made. 

Twilight Sparkle knew that she shouldn’t ask the next question that popped into her head. It was wrong that she was even thinking about it. But her curiosity was stronger, overpowering her disgust at her desire to see it.

“Do...you still have the video?” asked Twilight, letting her hand fall from Sunset’s knee as she looked away in shame.

Sunset Shimmer had gotten taken aback as she heard Twilight’s question. Though she wasn’t shocked that Twilight had asked the question, knowing Twilight, Sunset Shimmer knew she had an air of curiosity that made her want to learn as much as she could. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t nerve-wracking to have her ask about the video. She grabbed her phone and unlocked it, going into her video gallery. There was the video, still sitting in her gallery from the day of the Spring Formal. For a moment, her finger hovered over the delete button. It was  _ so _ tempting to delete it and say she didn’t have it. But that would have been another lie, and she was starting to regret lying to Twilight Sparkle. Silently, she clicked on the video and handed her phone to Twilight. 

Twilight Sparkle took the phone from Sunset, looking at what was playing on the screen. She heard her voice playing over a series of photos. The photos showed Rarity in slightly risque lingerie, posing in various ways on her bed. It was clear that the pictures were supposed to stay private, though somehow, Sunset managed to get a hold of them. She covered her mouth as she heard some of the recordings the redhead managed to obtain. Some had gotten caught at the wrong time. Others were mashed up to sound false or mean. The video ended with the photo of Rarity standing naked in front of her mirror. Once the video had finished, Twilight looked up at Sunset. 

“As I said, I wasn’t the nicest person Twi.” Sunset looked at her phone, barely able to stomach what she heard herself say in the video. 

Twilight got up and sat next to Sunset Shimmer, not caring that her wings brushed up against her arms as she sat down. Right now, she was able to push her worries about freaking her friend out. What Sunset needed was a friend who was willing to comfort her after letting herself be vulnerable. She could tell that it was hard for her to hear what was getting said in the video. She looked down at the video, seeing the trash symbol on the screen. Looking back at Sunset Shimmer, she knew one way to help her let go of the past. 

Grabbing her hand, she said, “Sunset, I can see that this was your past. Do you think you can delete the video? Do you think you can start to let go of what happened in your past?” 

Sunset Shimmer met Twilight’s gaze, ignoring the fact she could feel the feathers brushing against her skin. To hear her raise the question of deleting the video had surprised her. After watching her reaction to it, which hurt to see how shocked she was, she didn’t think Twilight Sparkle would want to talk to her. She held onto that video for the sole purpose of reminding herself of the monster she used to be. Never once did it cross her mind to get rid of it. Though now facing that choice, she was willing to do it because her reason for deleting it permanently was sitting next to her. 

“Y-yeah, I think I can,” replied Sunset, taking her phone back. 

With a shaky hand, she pressed the delete symbol, and the video had gotten permanently deleted. Seeing the video was gone was strange to her, especially after the many times she had made herself watch it. She turned off her phone and slipped it back into her pocket. She didn’t want to give the video another thought. Turning her attention to Twilight, she moved away from her. 

“Guess you’re still afraid of me…” said Twilight Sparkle when she noticed that Sunset Shimmer had shifted away from her. 

Sunset looked at Twilight Sparkle, pushing Twilight’s wing aside so she could see her face. Now that she was sitting next to her, she could see the tears that were slowly streaming down her cheeks. Reaching out her hand, she wiped a few of the tears off her cheek. It killed her to see that Twilight was upset and that it was her doing. She pushed herself off the boulder and stood in front of her. 

“Twilight, look at me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she pulled Twilight’s gaze to meet hers. “I am not afraid of you.” 

“But you-”   


“I just moved away because I had just made myself vulnerable, and I wanted to give you time to adjust to what I told you.” continued Sunset, not letting Twilight Sparkle finish. “I hope since you now know that about me that it hasn’t changed how you view me.” 

Twilight Sparkle grabbed Sunset’s hand. “It hasn’t. You are still the same Sunset I love.” 

As soon as Twilight said that, she immediately blushed. It was the first time she said anything like that to Sunset. And in a way, it felt like she was admitting her feelings to her. Right now, it was  _ very _ tempting, but she decided better of it. After hearing Sunset Shimmer tell her about what she used to be like before she met her, she had started to understand why it was so hard for the redhead to talk about it. The video was also proof that she had made an effort to do better. As Twilight Sparkle watched her delete it, letting go of some part of her past, it was amazing to see the journey she had been through. 

“But I do have one question, though. What is the Fall-” 

“There you two are!” shouted Rainbow Dash, interrupting Twilight as she sped into the clearing. 

“Why didn't you send us a text that you found her?” asked Applejack as she joined them in the clearing. 

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, clearly panicking about what to say. She hadn’t expected the girls to find them there. Nor did she think about how she was going to explain away her not texting them. Telling them that she admitted to Twilight what she did to them was out of the question. Revealing that to her was hard enough for her not to want to let the girls know. At least not until she had time to push the memories back to their cages. 

“She was busy reminding me that you girls are my friends and that I shouldn’t have run off and made you worry,” said Twilight, knowing that Sunset didn’t want their private conversation talked about. 

The redhead gave Twilight Sparkle a very grateful smile. Her attention turned to the bushes as she heard a heavy thudding coming towards them. Looking at them, she saw Fluttershy push her way past the branches, followed by Susie right behind her. As the animal lover walked over to Applejack, it was plain to see that she was still nervous about being around Susie. 

‘H-hey, there you a-are.” Susie said as her robotic voice skipped a bit. 

The girls all stood around nervously, none of them sure what to say next. Twilight Sparkle still looked like Midnight Sparkle, and that had to get addressed. The girls all knew that. They knew they had to apologize for hurting their friend and making her run off. Applejack was the first to approach Twilight, albeit being wary of the two large wings that draped themselves over her shoulders. 

“Twilight, we’re mighty sorry that we made you feel bad. We shouldn’t have been afraid of you,” said Applejack, glancing back at the other girls before returning her attention to Twilight. “Can you forgive us?” 

The rest of the girls circled Twilight and Sunset, all except for Fluttershy. She was still trying to adjust to the situation. And having been paired up with an 8-foot tall animatronic chicken didn’t help. The time she had been searching for her friend at the dog park with her was intriguing. She had noticed that Susie had kept her distance, seemingly mindful of her fear. As she stayed back, she saw Twilight glance briefly at her. It seemed that she, too, was also aware that she was still a bit fearful. 

Pinkie Pie was pulling her classic I’m-sorry-will-you-please-forgive-me puppy dog eyes. Looking at her, Twilight Sparkle couldn’t help but give in. Just as with Sunset Shimmer, her anger towards the girls disappeared as soon as she heard their apologies. After all, she couldn’t blame them for being afraid. She wasn’t sure how she looked, but if Twilight Sparkle could see herself, Twilight figured that she would become just as freaked out. Pushing aside her worries about Fluttershy, she forced herself to acknowledge her friends. 

Twilight Sparkle looked directly at the girls. “I can, but it doesn’t change how much it hurt to see you girls fear me.” 

“We know, Twi,” said Pinkie Pie, walking up to her. “We see now that you are our friend. But I am curious about something.” 

“What is that, Pinkie?” asked Twilight. 

“How come Susie isn’t terrified of your appearance? I mean, it’s not every day that someone who is a kid trapped inside an animatronic gets to see someone that looks like a she-demon,” asked Pinkie Pie, finally noticing that Susie seemed not to care about Twilight’s new appearance. 

Twilight Sparkle shifted her wings over her shoulders, hiding her face behind the warm feathers. Though the question hadn’t meant to offend her, it was still painful to her. To hear her friend imply that anyone else would find her new appearance disturbing felt like a punch to her stomach. Yet, if what she went through tonight with her friends was any indication, she had a bad feeling she was going to have to get used to people becoming repulsed by her new features. 

As she went to fix her gaze to the ground, she felt a gentle touch against her shoulder, making her tail flick behind her in response to it. Surprised by the sudden contact, she looked up to see someone she didn’t expect. The hand that rested on her shoulder belonged to the only one of her friends that was still afraid of her. Lowering her wings a bit, she saw Fluttershy smiling at her despite the fact she still was nervous about being close to her. That made the gesture all the more sweet and endearing. And knowing that her friend was pushing past her own nervousness to support her made her smile. 

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” whispered Twilight, resting her hand lightly over Fluttershy’s.

Keeping her gaze on Twilight’s eyes, Fluttershy moved her hand down from Twilight’s shoulder. She tried to ignore the feeling of the feathers brushing against her skin, but it was impossible. The way they brushed against her skin was causing goosebumps to form on her arm. As her hand reached Twilight’s, she started to pull away, but she felt her grip her hand tightly. 

“I mean it, Fluttershy. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to approach me,” said Twilight, flashing Fluttershy a weak smile. 

Fluttershy squeezed Twilight’s hand gently. “It wasn’t, but I am always happy to help a friend no matter what.” 

As Susie watched the scene play out in front of her, she finally replied to Pinkie Pie’s earlier question. “To answer your question, I am not all that freaked out because...well, let’s just say that I have seen worse.”

Sunset Shimmer knew exactly what Susie meant. The sickening images she had seen in her memories were still replaying in her mind. For a while, she had managed to push them aside, talking to Twilight Sparkle helped with that. Though, the subject of their conversation wasn’t a much better option. Clearing any thoughts of the discussion or the images, she pulled out her phone. As the screen turned on, she saw the time was 9:48 pm. 

“Crap! Girls, we have to go now. We have school tomorrow, and it’s almost ten.” said Sunset, putting away her phone. “Let’s get Susie back to Fritz and Jeremy.” 

“Just Jeremy and Fritz? Where’s Gabriel?’ asked Susie. 

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “We are still searching for…”   


“Gabriel,” Susie said, finishing Sunset’s sentence. 

“Yes, Gabriel,” said Sunset, making a note to remember his name. “Well, let’s go.”

After that, the girls and Susie walked out of the clearing, making their way to Applejack’s farm. Walking down the road leading to the city, Susie couldn’t help but wonder what was happening between Sunset and Twilight. She had noticed the earlier argument between the two girls. Her curiosity was starting to get to her as Susie tried to figure out what was going on. Making her way over to the redhead, she tapped her shoulder to get her attention. 

“Hey, Sunset? Can I ask you something?” asked Susie. 

Sure. What is it, Susie?” Sunset said, looking at Susie as they continued walking.

“I hope you don’t me prodding, but what is going on with you and Twilight?” Susie continued, glancing back at Twilight.

“Guess you overheard the argument earlier, huh?” Sunset looked down at the road, recalling the argument. 

‘Yeah, it was kind of hard not to when you’re sitting five feet away.” replied Susie, chuckling robotically. 

“Well, the argument was over me being afraid of her appearance. I made the wrong choice in admitting that I was afraid, at least in the way that I did it.” Sunset’s eyes clouded over with a few tears as guilt washed over her again. 

“Why were you afraid of her? She is still your friend, despite her appearance changing, right?” Susie’s curiosity was starting to get the better of her as she continued to ask questions. 

“Yes, she is still my friend.” Sunset’s voice cracked as she struggled to keep from crying. “I was afraid of her because...I have- I’m sorry, I can’t talk about it right now.” 

Sunset Shimmer walked away from Susie, wiping a tear off her cheek. She knew Susie’s questions were well-intentioned, but she knew it was too much for her at the moment, and she needed to be alone. After the ordeal with revealing her bullying past to Twilight Sparkle and the emotional trauma it raised, she was emotionally and psychologically raw. She glanced behind her at Twilight, who smiled at her when she met her gaze. Blushing, the redhead looked away, sheepishly smiling to herself. 

“You did good tonight, Sunset.” said her conscience. “You did great even.” 

*** *** *** ***   
  
Sunset Shimmer could see the excitement Susie had by the way she walked ahead of them, almost forcing them to jog to keep up with her. She and the girls all shared sympathetic smiles, knowing the comfort being in the presence of your closest friends brought. The idea of anything terrible happening to them made Sunset Shimmer walk a little closer to her friends. She didn’t want to consider imagining a world where she didn’t have them. Not after all they had done to help become the person she was now. She was grateful for their support and friendship, very appreciative. 

Fluttershy shivered as another gust of wind blew past her in the open road. She wished she had remembered to wear her heavier jacket. In the haste of going after Susie, she didn’t have time to get her other coat. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm her arms up or, at the very least, get rid of the forming goosebumps. She was so focused on trying to keep warm, that she hadn’t noticed that Twilight was walking up to her. 

“May I?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she stretched out one of her wings. 

Fluttershy nodded. “Pl-please do.” 

Cautiously, Twilight Sparkle wrapped her wing around Fluttershy’s shivering body. She made sure to keep some distance between her body and Fluttershy’s as she pulled her close. Seeing her friend shivering in the cold made her want to offer what she could. And with her wings being feathered, it provided excellent protection against the brisk fall wind. As they continued walking, she felt a hand grasp her wing, pulling it closer to its owner. Looking, she realized it was the animal lover who seemed delighted to have something warm. 

“Thank you,” whispered Fluttershy as she snuggled closer to Twilight’s wing. 

‘You’re welcome.” replied Twilight, looking down as she smiled. 

She didn’t want Fluttershy to see her fangs, not after what happened earlier. Right now, she wanted to revel in the moment of seeing her friend enjoying her company. Just as she looked up, she felt someone touching her other wing. When she looked to see who it was, she was surprised to see it was Pinkie Pie. She watched as the pink-haired girl ran her hand across the feathers continuously. 

“So soft…” mumbled Pinkie Pie as she closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the sensation. 

“Um, Pinkie Pie?” asked Twilight. “What are you doing?” 

Pinkie Pie rubbed her cheek against a few of the feathers, saying, “Enjoying the unbelievable softness of your feathers.” 

Twilight Sparkle gave her a puzzled look before turning to Sunset Shimmer, who started to snicker at the utter silliness of what she was witnessing. Between the priceless expression that Twilight had and Pinkie Pie resting her head on her wing, it was an almost unbelievable scene that they were seeing in front of them. That laughter was infectious, sending everyone, including Twilight, into a laughing fit. The laughter broke the tension between the girls and brought everyone a bit closer together. 

Once Sunset Shimmer could finally rein in her laughter, she rested a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and said, “That’s a classic Pinkie Pie move.” 

Again, everyone broke out into laughter, knowing very well that Sunset’s comment was genuine. 

*** *** *** ***

By now, the moon and stars had taken center stage in the sky, illuminating the path leading down to the farm with an eerie glow. With the sun’s light gone, the road looked creepy, almost like a horror movie waiting to happen. The moon’s glow did nothing to ease the effect. The girls made their way towards the barn, exhausted from their long trek. The barn was a welcomed sight for sore eyes. Or sore feet in their case. The walk had lasted about an hour or more, not including the time they’d taken to make sure that Susie wasn't visible to the passing cars. But now they had arrived, and they were ready to sit down. 

Inside the barn, Jeremy and Fritz had huddled close together, sitting on two hay bales. It had been an anxious wait for them to see if the girls could find the rest of their friends. They hoped the girls and their friends would make it back safely. While they waited for the girls to return, Jeremy and Fritz took the time to catch up. 

“So, what happened when the girls found you?” asked Fritz. 

“Well, when they found me, I had already killed two kids. That is what led to them finding me,” replied Jeremy, looking down at the hook. 

Fritz looked at Jeremy. “Oh, wow, I didn’t realize.” 

“They were like us, young. One of the kids was younger than me, Fritz.” Jeremy went silent for a moment as he recalled the kid’s corpse. “And I killed him…” 

“Now, I remember why we chose to forget our memories and identities,” said Fritz, resting a comforting hand on Jeremy’s back. 

Just as Jeremy went to speak, they both heard the barn door creak open. They watched as the doors had gotten pulled open, revealing that the girls had returned. They stood up and approached the girls. There was a hopeful glint in their eyes as they hoped to see their friends again. 

“Did you guys find…” Jeremy trailed off as the girls stepped aside. 

Susie walked out from the shadows, stopping once she saw her friends standing in front of her. She was amazed that she was seeing her friends for the first time again after being unaware for so long. Walking with Sunset Shimmer and her friends, seeing how happy they were because of their friendship, made her realize she missed her friends. Susie missed talking to them, hanging out with, and just laughing to laugh. And right now, if she still could cry, she would have. 

“Jeremy! Fritz!” shouted Susie as she started to walk towards her friends. 

“Susie? Is that really you?” asked both boys in unison. 

“Yes, it's me, you idiots,” replied Susie as she wrapped her wings around both of them in a warm embrace. 

As the kids broke the hug, albeit very reluctantly, Jeremy made his way over to where Sunset Shimmer was. He didn’t see Twilight slink away into the shadows as he approached. His mind was somewhere else, swimming with returning memories. 

“Thank you for bringing back another of my friends. I know it can’t have been easy,” said Jeremy, glancing back at Susie and Fritz, who were starting to catch up. 

“You’re welcome,” said Sunset, giving him a warm smile. “Now, we should head inside. We wouldn’t want AJ’s family to realize you are here.” 

With that, Jeremy, Fritz, and Susie walked into the barn. The girls started to follow suit, except for Twilight Sparkle. When she reached the door, she froze. Her mind began to wonder how Jeremy and Fritz would take to her new appearance. Susie may have been okay with it, but that didn’t ease her worries at all. What if they freaked out and thought she was going to hurt them? She wasn’t sure she could face them if that happened. 

Sunset Shimmer was about to walk into the warm, well-lit barn when she noticed that Twilight had stopped outside the door. She gave her a look of worry, wondering why her friend had stopped. Taking a step away from the door, she made her way over to Twilight Sparkle. Once she was by her side, she gently gripped her wrist. 

Mid-Twilight?” asked Sunset, cringing as she nearly said Midnight. 

_ “She’s still Twilight, your friend. Not Midnight Sparkle. Get it correct, you dummy.” _ hissed Sunset’s inner voice, reminding her of who she was talking to. 

The feeling of Sunset’s fingertips brushing against her skin made Twilight’s heart hammer against her ribcage. As she felt goosebumps run up her arm, she bit her lip to keep from pulling away. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to meet the redhead’s gaze. As she did, she saw the moonlight shining behind her, bathing her in an ethereal glow. It was enough to cause her breath to hitch in her throat. Combined with the light of the moon, it seemed that Sunset’s cyan eyes glowed brightly at her. 

“What is wrong?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she stepped in front of Twilight. 

“I-I don’t want to go in,” Twilight Sparkle answered, her voice shaking despite her every effort to sound firm. 

Hearing what Twilight Sparkle said, the girls walked out of the barn and joined Sunset. All of them looked worried about her, which made Twilight regret even saying anything. 

“Darling, why on earth do you not want to join us? Aside from its obvious lack of proper seating and cleanliness.” Rarity asked, placing a hand on her hip. 

Applejack glared at Rarity as she insulted the barn. Sure, it was a bit disorderly, and hay had become strewn about, but it was a  _ barn _ . Albeit, a run-down one that was in need of a desperate repair, but she let it go, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort to argue the point. She returned her attention to Twilight, wanting to focus on her friend. 

“I don’t want to...frighten Jeremy and Fritz. I look like...a mon-monster.” Twilight Sparkle struggled to say the word she feared was now an accurate description of her, her wings pulling themselves close to her body as her tail flicked from behind her. 

Upon hearing that, all the girls pulled Twilight close to them, surrounding her. 

“You’re not a monster, Sparky,” said Sunset, her hand slipping from Twilight’s wrist to hold her hand. “Not to us.” 

“Yeah, you just have wings, different skin, fangs…” Rainbow Dash trailed off as she got a collective glare from all the girls. 

Rainbow Dash saw that her comments had made Twilight more self-conscious. She saw her look away as she met her gaze, making her realize she had hurt her. Sighing, she said, “Sorry, Twi. I didn’t mean to offend you.” 

“I-It’s okay, I guess,” said Twilight, sounding unsure of herself. 

“If anything, I think it makes you look badass if you ask me.” Rainbow Dash added, trying to cheer her friend up. “I gotta say I am super jealous of your wings right now.” 

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash an appreciative smile. She knew the athlete sometimes found it hard to see things from another person’s perspective. Stepping closer to her, she placed a hand under Twilight’s chin, lifting it so their eyes could meet. 

“Now, listen here sugarcube, I understand your hesitation and fear. But you have to give the kids a chance. They may surprise you. Besides, it’s dark and cold out here, and I don’t want you catchin’ a cold.” said Applejack in a stern but calm voice. 

Twilight Sparkle knew the cowgirl was right. She was going to have to deal with this situation. Even if she could, running away from it wouldn’t do her any good. And dealing with it sooner was better than later, especially since she would have to go to school tomorrow. Playing with one of her feathers, she started to panic mentally. 

_ “Oh, what am I going to do?”  _ Twilight thought, tracing her finger down the length of the feather.  _ “If I go home tonight, how the hell am I going to explain to my mom? She’ll flip out for sure.” _

With her worries increasing by the second, she started to understand the stress Fluttershy had to deal with on a daily basis. She admired her for braving it every day. Speaking of her friend, she also had to admire the amount of bravery it took for her to approach her earlier. Considering that she still seemed hesitant and fearful of being near her, she had to commend her bravery. She only hoped she could be that brave. 

“Well, I’ll stay out here a little longer. When I feel ready to, I will come in.” Twilight Sparkle stated, hoping to convince her friends – and herself – that she could handle being around the kids. 

“Okay, Twi. When you decide to join us, let us know,” said Sunset, giving Twilight’s hand a gentle squeeze. 

Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight’s hand, raising her arms to hug her, but she hesitated. She remembered her scars and how she had reacted to Twilight touching them. Deep down, she wasn’t sure if she could keep from pulling away if Twilight brushed against them again. Telling herself that her worries about her scars were less important than her friend, she wrapped her arms around Twilight’s back. As she wrapped her arms around her, she felt her hands brush against the base of her wings. For a moment, she felt Twilight shudder and pull away slightly before leaning back into the hug. 

Twilight Sparkle returned Sunset’s hug, reveling in the feeling of her warm and tender embrace. She took a deep breath, inhaling the all too familiar smell of her shampoo. As she wrapped her arms around Sunset Shimmer, she was careful about where Twilight placed her hands — being careful not to touch her shoulders and end the hug before she was ready to. Unfortunately, she got carried away and lost in the embrace, her hands accidentally brushing against the redhead’s shoulder blades. She froze, waiting for Sunset to pull away from her inevitably. 

The feeling of hands on her shoulder blades made Sunset Shimmer panic for a moment. She could tell that Twilight hadn’t meant to touch her scars, just like the first time. Though, Sunset wanted to pull away from the hug. She didn’t. Instead, she tightened the embrace, wanting to keep the contact. Yes, she wasn’t comfortable with having anyone touch her scars, but her friend was the exception to that. Her touch made the wounds seem like they were nothing. 

After a bit, both Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle broke the hug. Sunset gave her one last smile before she walked off, joining the rest of the girls in the barn. That left Twilight outside, still reeling from the hug and the night’s events. 

*** *** *** ***

Inside the barn, there was a small lamp that hung from the ceiling by a wire. It barely lit up the barn, still keeping the entrance mostly shrouded in darkness. As Sunset Shimmer sat down on a nearby hay bale, she glanced at the darkened doorway. Illuminated in the light of the moon was part of Twilight’s one wing. The way the moonlight was shining on it, it caused it to look like an angel’s wing bathed in light. Chuckling at the sight, Sunset returned her attention to the kids and her friends. 

_ “Please, join us soon, Twilight.” _ thought Sunset, hoping that her friend would do that. 

Jeremy looked at the girls, noticing that something appeared to be off. Looking, he noticed a lack of purple hair from the group of girls. That made him look around, wondering where their missing friend was. But he couldn’t see any sign of her anywhere. He was about to ask when Fritz spoke first. 

‘Hey, where’s that purple-haired nerdy friend of yours?” asked Fritz, unaware that Twilight Sparkle could hear them. 

Sunset Shimmer glanced back at the door, noticing that Twilight Sparkle had moved closer to it. Sighing, she looked down at her hands. Revealing some of her past to her was refreshing, exhilarating, and freeing. She hadn’t felt that good since she helped the girls defeat the Dazzlings. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. When Twilight had made her delete the video that she had made against Rarity, that made her realize that she could let go of it. But that joy and relief only lasted for a moment as the fact not all of her past had gotten revealed dawned on her. Though, she was hoping to change that. 

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle stood outside the doorway, looking at the girls as they chatted amongst themselves. She wanted to be a part of the group, but with her appearance having gotten altered, she wasn’t sure she could. Like a switch flipping, Twilight decided she wasn’t going to stand outside anymore. With a surge of confidence, she walked into the barn, only to stop just short of the well-lit area. Her fear resurfaced with such force, she retreated for the shadows near the doorway, hiding her wings. 

“Twilight? Did you finally decide to join us?” asked Sunset, hearing footsteps shuffling around in the barn. 

“Y-yes,” said Twilight, her eyes drifting over to where Jeremy and Fritz were. “It’s me.”

“Then why are you hiding from us?” asked Fritz, getting up and walking up to her

That question made Twilight’s heart race in response. It was frightening enough to try and consider what their reaction might be. The thought of them being close to her when they saw her was even more terrifying. Not to mention risky if they tripped or swung their hands around and hit her. She stepped back, keeping herself bathed in the shadows. 

Adjusting her glasses, she said, “ I, um, don’t like my usual self right now.” 

That made Fritz stop in his path. Glancing behind him, he saw Jeremy was just as confused as he was. He saw Jeremy get up and walk over to where he was standing. Together, they both turned their attention to the shadows, where Twilight’s voice came from. 

“What do you mean? Is everything okay?” Jeremy asked. 

Sunset Shimmer looked to see Twilight’s figure shifting nervously in the shadows. Seeing that she was getting surrounded, she walked up to her. She could see that all eyes were on her and Twilight Sparkle, which she knew wasn’t going to ease her friend’s nervousness. She stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the girls and the kids. 

“You can walk behind me if you want to. Susie will make sure they behave, okay?” asked Sunset Shimmer, holding Twilight’s hand. 

Twilight Sparkle nodded and stood behind Sunset Shimmer as she started to walk towards the lit area. Though it was terrifying to show the kids what her appearance was, she felt like with Sunset at her side that she could do it. Or at least, she hoped she could. As she stepped into the light, she took a deep breath. 

_ “You can do this, Twilight.” _ thought Twilight Sparkle, gathering what courage she had. 

Fritz and Jeremy watched with curiosity as Twilight Sparkle stepped out from behind Sunset Shimmer. Their eyes had become immediately drawn to the large, dark purple, feathered wings that sprouted out from her shoulders. Though her wings weren’t outstretched, they still appeared very creepy to them. When they could finally pull their gaze away from her wings, they saw that her eyes had also changed a bit. Fritz staggered back in surprise, his foot knocking over a stack of hay bales. 

“Seriously, dude? She isn’t  _ that _ scary.” hissed Jeremy. “We’ve seen worse than her.” 

Deciding to test their reactions to her fangs, she said, “Hey Jeremy, Fritz.” She gave them a small wave as she smiled. 

As Jeremy saw Twilight Sparkle smile, he noticed two very sharp, elongated fangs where her regular canines should have been. In an instant, his calm demeanor shattered as fear took hold. Stepping back, he stood next to Fritz, now seeing why his friend had backed up. Unfortunately, there was a loose floorboard beneath him. With his weight on it, it bent underneath him, sending him off balance. As he started to fall, he tried to grab onto Fritz for balance, but he only succeeded in bringing them both to the ground. 

Twilight Sparkle saw the fear in their eyes and started to back away. In the process of backing away, she tripped over her own feet. She fell to the floor, the base of her wings hitting the hardwood floor. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she noticed that Fritz and Jeremy were staring at her as if hoping she would disappear from their sight. She curled her wings around herself, hiding beneath them like a warm blanket. 

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. Walking over to her, she knelt beside her. She turned her attention to Susie, seeing her walking over the heap of metal that was her friends. Just as the two boys got back on their feet, they had gotten met with a slap to the back of the head. 

“Really, you two?! After everything that has happened, THIS is what freaks you out?!” screamed Susie, gesturing to Twilight Sparkle. 

Jeremy and Fritz rubbed the back of their heads, glancing up at their angry friend. They had never seen this side to her. So to see it directed at them was terrifying. 

“Yes, she is very...scary,” said Fritz in a low voice. “I would go as far as to say she is a monster.” He added, eyeing Twilight Sparkle. 

As the word left Fritz’s mouth, Twilight Sparkle started to sob. She got up off the floor, her wings still wrapped around her body. Just as she was about to exit the barn, she felt a hand grab her arm. Looking up, she saw it was Sunset Shimmer who was keeping her from getting away. She saw the pained expression her friend wore, making her decision to push her hand off hurt even more. Once she had gotten freed from Sunset’s grasp, she ran outside and sat down on the ground, cocooning herself beneath her wings.

It hurt to hear someone call her a monster. She was well aware that she looked like a monster. But she wasn’t one, not on the inside. Right…? She did have destructive magic and features to go with it, but it wasn’t like the last time she had them. But that didn’t mean she was dangerous or a monster. She was in control this time, not equestrian magic. Yet, as much as she tried to convince herself, she couldn’t quite believe her own words. 

Inside, Twilight Sparkle could hear Susie’s angry voice saying, “You dimwits! Have you looked at yourselves in the mirror?  _ We  _ also look like monsters, in case you haven’t noticed.” 

“But she has wings and fangs.” protested Fritz, pointing to the area where Twilight Sparkle was sitting. 

“So? We are kids trapped in 8-foot animatronics that are made of metal. And we have murdered kids. So, aren’t we monsters as well?” asked Susie. 

Suddenly, she felt something gently brush against the outer layer of her wings. The sensation brought her attention away from the conversation that the kids were having. She hesitated for a moment before she opened her wings a little. When she did, she saw Sunset’s concerned expression looking back at her. 

“Hey Twi, can I sit with you?” asked Sunset Shimmer, giving her a half-smile. 

Twilight Sparkle nodded, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. 

Sunset Shimmer sat down next to Twilight, their arms brushing against each other. She watched as Twilight Sparkle pulled her wing closer to her. She felt the feathers brush against her bare skin causing goosebumps to form. Rubbing her arms, she tried to rid herself of the goosebumps. 

Twilight Sparkle saw that and said, “Oh, sorry…” 

Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight Sparkle starting to pull her wings away and reached out to grab a few feathers. She caressed a few of them, enjoying their silky softness. Her finger ran the length of one of the feathers, admiring the details of it. She watched as the strands of the feather moved with her hand. It was like running her hand against the softest cotton she had felt. 

“It’s okay, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer, glancing up at Twilight Sparkle for a moment, a deep blush in her cheeks. “They’re very soft, and I like how warm they are…”

“Really? They don't repulse you?” asked Twilight. 

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the edge of Twilight’s wing, running her hand along it. She delicately ran her fingers over each feather, making Twilight Sparkle shudder as she did so. Pleased by that reaction, she continued downward, reaching the end of the wing. As she touched the end, a single solitary feather fell and landed in front of her. Letting go of Twilight’s wing, she picked up the feather. 

“Yeah, I am not repulsed. I think that your wings are beautiful,” said Sunset Shimmer as she ran her finger along the side of the feather. “Even better than the ones I had as Demon Shimmer…” 

Twilight, not hearing what Sunset Shimmer said, asked, “What?”   
  
Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat and said, “I said your wings are beautiful and that they do not repulse me. At all.” 

Smiling, Twilight Sparkle reached out and grabbed Sunset’s hand. She also moved her wing, wrapping it around Sunset’s torso. Sitting here with the redhead, she felt like she was back to herself once again. Like she didn’t have wings and fangs as well as some dangerous powers. Instead, she was just Twilight Sparkle, the girl who had a big crush on the girl sitting next to her. 

“They’re terrified of me, aren’t they?” asked Twilight, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Sunset Shimmer’s heart broke when she heard Twilight Sparkle speak. She could tell that the kids’ reaction had affected her severely. Between what happened with the girls and now this, it was plain to see that tonight had been very rough for the book lover. She squeezed Twilight’s hand, wanting to comfort her. 

“It’s new to them. The kids haven’t seen anyone that looks like you. But the kids have been through a lot, and that means they are capable of changing and adapting. Besides, they are open-minded, they’ll accept you if you give them a chance to.” replied Sunset. 

“Yeah, and I will make them apologize too,” Susie said as she walked out of the barn with Fritz and Jeremy trailing behind her. 

Together, Fritz and Jeremy stood in front of Twilight, who immediately tensed up her wings. That prompted Sunset Shimmer to rest her hand on Twilight’s wing to keep it from covering her mouth. She squeezed Twilight’s hand gently, reassuring her that she was there for her. 

Fritz kept his gaze locked to the ground, not wanting to meet Twilight’s gaze. “I-I’m sorry.” 

“For what, Fritz?” asked Twilight, daring to speak to him. 

“I am sorry for calling you a monster. I shouldn’t have done that,” replied Fritz, looking up for a moment. 

Twilight Sparkle wiped a tear off her cheek. She could see that Fritz was still fearful of her, but he calmed down a bit. She stood up to her feet with Sunset Shimmer right behind her. Twilight, seeing that Fritz had managed to apologize for what he said was enough to make her smile for a moment. 

“I understand why you called me that. I know that it’s new to you. That’s why I forgive you.” said Twilight. “But please, don’t call me that again.” 

“Okay, I won’t. I promise, Twilight,” said Fritz, walking away as Jeremy approached her. 

Jeremy watched as Fritz walked back into the barn, leaving to apologize to Twilight Sparkle on his own. He rubbed the back of his head as he tried to find the courage to speak. Being near Twilight was making it hard for him to talk. But eventually, he managed to find his voice. 

“Iamsorry,” said Jeremy quickly, trying to get away from Twilight. 

“What?” Twilight asked, hearing only static as Jeremy spoke. 

“I am sorry for the way I behaved,” said Jeremy, making sure his words were clear. 

Seeing that Jeremy was still extremely nervous around her, Twilight Sparkle rested her hand on his arm. For the first time since she transformed, she felt terrible for someone else. She didn’t feel bad for herself anymore. And her talk with Sunset Shimmer made her realize that it was also an adjustment for the kids as well, that her sudden transformation was also a shock to them. Though, it warmed her heart to see them slowly adjusting and warming up to her again. She felt Jeremy hesitate to pull away before remaining still.

“You’re still scared, huh?” asked Twilight Sparkle in a soothing tone. 

Jeremy nodded. “Y-yeah…” 

Twilight Sparkle looked down at the ground, trying to ignore the pain of hearing that an 8-year-old boy was terrified of her. She was unsuccessful as it was all too much for her. If she frightened the kids and her friends, she wondered how her parents were going to take to her new appearance. The only thing she hoped that they wouldn’t do was freak out...much. 

Something inside him made him step forward and wrap his arms carefully around Twilight Sparkle as he saw her look down. He tried to hug her, but being trapped inside of an animatronic made that nearly impossible, especially when he had a sharp hook and was trying to hug someone with two large wings. After a minute, he pulled away from the hug. 

“I understand your fear of my appearance. I am still adjusting to it, as well. But that doesn’t change the fact that I am still your friend.” Twilight continued, flashing him a smile as she was purposefully showing him her fangs as she pulled her wings back. 

With that, Susie and Jeremy walked back into the barn, joining Fritz and the rest of the girls. That left Sunset and Twilight alone, standing outside the barn under the moonlight. The said redhead approached Twilight Sparkle, resting a hand on her shoulder. 

“So, how are you feeling now?” asked Sunset, meeting Twilight’s eyes. 

“Better,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she brushed her wing against Sunset’s back. 

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. “Good. We she-demons have to stick together, right?” 

“What?” asked Twilight, wondering what Sunset was talking about. 

“Uh, nevermind,” said Sunset, quickly realizing she almost slipped up. 

Twilight gave Sunset a puzzled look, but said, “Okay…” 

Together, both girls walked back into the warm barn, glad to be inside for once. As Twilight walked in, she sat down next to Susie. Twilight had just made sure she was comfortable when she looked at the young girl and noticed that she was staring at her. 

‘What?” asked Twilight, growing creeped out by the constant staring. 

Susie blinked and looked away. She was embarrassed that she had gotten caught staring at Twilight. But Susie couldn’t help it, and her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know how she had ended up getting the wings, fangs, and the tail that swished behind her. If that was wrong, so be it. 

“Hey, I was wondering, what caused you to, um, gain this appearance?” asked Susie, deciding to take a leap. 

Twilight fiddled with a piece of hay as she said, “I gained this because I was using my magic to hold you down as Sunset saw your memories.” 

“Oh…” was all Susie could as she heard that she was the reason Twilight’s appearance had changed. 

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” said Twilight Sparkle as she saw Susie look down. 

“Okay. Also, if I can ask, do you like Sunset?” Susie asked, wanting to change the subject. “I saw the way you two acted when we found you guys in the clearing. And the way she tried to help you after your appearance changed.”

Twilight Sparkle felt her cheeks heat up as she heard Susie’s question. She didn’t expect her to ask that kind of question. But regardless of whether she had expected it or not, it made her think. After the events of the night, she felt something had changed in her view of the gorgeous redhead. Seeing a vulnerable side to her, it made her fall even more in love with her. And made Twilight appreciate the effort it took to be honest with her. 

“I do, I really do,” replied Twilight as she glanced at Sunset, smiling to herself. “I love her.” 

*** *** *** ***   
  
An hour later, the girls, minus Applejack, were getting ready to head back to their homes. Well, everyone except...Twilight. She had chosen to sit out on the porch steps with her wings pulled close to her body. 

Sunset was busy making sure that her messenger bag, which she had dropped off at the farm before heading to the school, was still untouched. Rummaging through the contents of her backpack, she came across her journal, which she used to write to Princess Twilight. She pulled out her journal, her hand gripping the worn leather. On the front was a symbol that was half her cutie mark and half of another symbol she wasn’t sure of. Running her hand along the cover, she closed her eyes for a moment, recalling all the journal entries she had written. 

She had written to Princess Twilight many times, mainly after the events of the Fall Formal. It helped her to change and start learning what it meant to be a friend, as well as having the support of the girls. As her mind thought about the princess, she opened her eyes and looked up from the journal. Her eyes caught the sight of one of her friends sitting on the porch steps. Deciding to see who it was, she put her journal away. 

Opening the screen door, she walked out of the house. She saw it was Twilight and sat next to her. She rested her hand on her knee, trying to comfort her. That, although unintentionally, allowed Sunset to hear her inner dialogue. 

_ “I can’t face my mom, not when I look like a demon.”  _

_ “She doesn’t even know about what happened at the Friendship Game. I couldn’t tell her.”  _

_ “She doesn’t know about...Midnight Sparkle...about the transformation.” _

_ “...Maybe...I can stay over at Sunset’s place for a bit. If she is okay with it…”  _

Twilight looked at Sunset as she felt her hand rest on her knee. She saw that her eyes were glowing white like they always did whenever she used her geode to see someone’s memories and thoughts. Realizing what was happening, she gently nudged Sunset’s hand off her knee. As Sunset came out of her trance, she folded her wings over her shoulders and chest. 

“I am okay with it, Twi. You can stay at my place,” said Sunset, revealing that she had indeed heard Twilight’s thoughts. “I understand that your mom doesn’t know about what happened during the Friendship Games. “

That made Twilight unfold her wings and look a Sunset with a grateful but surprised expression. She was confused as to why she would offer to help, considering that it had been a rough night for both of them. Sure, she was her friend, but she also seemed to want her privacy a lot too. Though, regardless of why she had offered, she was grateful for it. 

“Twilight? Is everything okay?” asked Sunset when her friend didn’t respond to her. 

Twilight blinked and looked down at her hands. “Um, yeah. I am fine. Just a bit shocked that you offered to let me spend the night at your place.” 

Sunset’s happy expression fell as she heard what Twilight said. It hurt to hear that her friend would think she wouldn’t help her. Though, she could see why she hesitant to believe her. In the last few days, she had pushed her away numerous times without so much as an explanation and flinched every single time Twilight’s hand had brushed against her scars. It was only tonight that she had started to admit the truth about her past. But it was just a start to her confessing everything. 

“I understand that after all that has happened tonight Sparky, that you would think that I don’t want to help you. But I do want to help.” Sunset grabbed Twilight’s hand. “So, do you want to come to my place?” 

Twilight Sparkle gave the redhead a small nod. “Just let me text my mom and let her know I will be at your place for the night.” 

Sunset Shimmer nodded and walked back into the farmhouse. She walked back over to her bag, resting her hand on her journal. A part of her wanted to talk to the princess after the night she had. But with her getting to spend the night with the human version of her, she didn’t want to waste the opportunity she had to reveal the rest of her past to Twilight. Instead, she pushed the book back into her bag and closed the flap on it. Just as she did so, she saw familiar cowgirl boots approach her. Looking up, she saw Applejack looking back at her, a stern expression on her face. 

“Where’s Twilight goin’ to stay?” asked Applejack. “I doubt her mom is aware of her...appearance.” 

“My place.” Sunset Shimmer stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. “I offered to let her stay.” 

“Really?” Applejack crossed her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow. “Is her mom ok-” 

Just then, Twilight Sparkle came in with her phone in her hand. “She is okay with me spending the night, Sunset.” 

“Twi, can you wait outside for a moment? I need to talk to Sunset for a second.” Applejack stood in front of Sunset Shimmer, turning her back to Twilight. 

Twilight Sparkle nodded, giving Sunset Shimmer a worried look before making her way to the porch. She wondered what Applejack wanted to talk with Sunset about. As she sat on the porch swing, minding the wings and tail she now, she pushed her curiosity aside. She was just happy to have a place where she could spend the night and avoid telling her parents about what happened. At least until tomorrow. 

With Twilight Sparkle gone and the rest of the girls in different parts of the house, Applejack had Sunset to herself. She was going to use this opportunity to make sure that Sunset Shimmer was going to stop hurting Twilight. In part, because she wanted to see the redhead be honest with her. And because like Rarity and Rainbow Dash, she wanted to see the two get together. 

“Alright, enough of this nonsense. I see that Twilight trusts you again. I hope you are ready to be honest with her.” Applejack gripped Sunset’s forearm tightly, tighter than she had meant to. “I just hope you are ready to tell her about the Fall Formal.” 

Sunset tried to yank her arm away from Applejack’s tight grip. “I know that, AJ!” Sunset tried to pry Applejack’s fingers from her forearm. “And I plan on doing that tonight. I just hope she doesn’t hate me after she knows...” 

Applejack’s grip loosened, allowing Sunset to pull her arm away. It was shocking to the cowgirl to hear the redhead sound so...afraid. Now, she regretted being as...aggressive as she was. Looking down, she exhaled softly, calming herself down before continuing the conversation. Once she was calm enough, she glanced up at Sunset with a softer expression. 

“If I know Twilight, I don’t think she’ll hate you. At least, after you have given her time to adjust to the news.” Applejack said. 

Sunset opened her mouth to retort, but Applejack rested her hand on her shoulder, making her look down at it. 

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt her, but this charade you keep playin’ with her is causing her to feel like-” 

“Like I don’t trust her?” asked Sunset, meeting the cowgirl’s green eyes.

“Yeah. And you say that Twilight will hate you if you admit that you went through the same experience and kept it from her. But what difference will it make if you wait any longer? The only difference is that she’ll end up hatin’ you more for keepin’ it from her for so long. You’d be lucky if she doesn’t decide to cut all ties with you if that happens.” continued Applejack. 

“Wait, has she been-” 

“That doesn’t matter now. All I am sayin’ Sunset is give the girl a chance.  _ Trust  _ her.” Applejack let her hand fall from the redhead’s shoulder. “Just don’t wait till it’s too late.”

Sunset watched as Applejack made her way up the stairs, heading towards her bedroom. The cowgirl’s words echoed in her head. She was right, after all. She should trust Twilight. She walked out of the house and joined Twilight on the swing. As she sat down, she felt her move her wings away from her. Not realizing what she was doing, she reached and stopped her. 

“Sunset, is everything okay?” asked Twilight, trying to ignore the sensation of Sunset fiddling with her feathers. “You seem upset.” 

“I just have a lot on my mind, Twi. But I am okay,” replied Sunset. 

“What happened with Applejack?” asked Twilight. 

“I don’t want to talk about it, please,” said Sunset as she stopped playing with Twilight’s feathers and looked down at her lap. 

“Okay. Do you want to go home now?” asked Twilight, resting a hand on the redhead’s back. 

“Yeah,” said Sunset as she got up from the swing with Twilight doing the same. “ I am getting tired.” 

“Okay, let’s go home then,” Twilight said, draping her one wing over Sunset’s shoulder as they made their way down the porch steps. 

As they walked down the road, Twilight reached out for Sunset’s hand. But as she went to grab it, she felt the redhead pull away from her. That made her wonder what was bothering Sunset Shimmer. She was curious if it had something to do with whatever she and Applejack had talked about. Though, she considered the possibility that maybe Sunset was still fearful of her because she looked like Midnight Sparkle. Whatever the reason was, she just hoped that she was okay and that she would talk about it when they got to her apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for the long wait on this. This story was inspired by a song, and I hope you'll enjoy it. Please, let me know you think. I love hearing what you think. And helpful criticism is welcomed.


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